Shadow of Israphel: Separated
by Dragon-Rider12
Summary: An alternate telling of SoI. Xephos and Honeydew get separated after the crash of the Celaeno. With the two apart from each other and Israphel's corrupting influence on Xephos' sanity, will the two ever complete the task of destroying the Dark Lord? Rated T for language, violence, blood, alcohol, and all that good stuff.
1. Chapter 1: The Crash

**Separated**

**A Shadow of Israphel story**

**Chapter 1: The Crash**

* * *

An explosion. The blast caught everyone off guard. Xephos was thrown across the deck, his dwarven friend slamming against him from behind. Both looked up to see Lysander struggling to keep _the Celaeno's_ wheel steady.

"The engine's gone!" He yelled at the top of his lungs. Xephos didn't think his comment was needed; the plume of smoke and the roar of the fire coming from the back of the ship was proof enough that something had happened to the engine. Quickly, Xephos gathered his thoughts.

"Where's Peculier?" He called, holding onto the railing to keep himself steady. The dwarf, Honeydew by name, opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, Old_Peculier came stumbling down the deck towards them.

"What in Notch's name is going on?!" He cried, also having to grip the ship's railing to steady himself. _The Celaeno_ was quickly plummeting back towards the earth.

"The ship's crashing! Honeydew, double check the ballast. I'll help Lysander keep the wheel steady." Xephos told the two.

"Right!" The Dwarf replied with a small nod. He let go of the railing and slid down the steepening slope of the deck, aiming himself for a chest used to shift the ship's weight during flight. Xephos' grip on the railing tightened before he started using it to pull himself up the deck while Old_Peculier clung to it for dear life. The Spaceman's ears were ringing from the chaos around him. Fire roaring, planks of wood splitting from the heat of the flames, the cries of his panicked companions, and the wind racing past the ship, making a loud droning sound all around them. It was when he reached the stairs when the second explosion happened. The ship jerked one more, worse this time, and Xephos' feet slipped out from under him. He hit the deck with a grunt, barely able to hang on to the railing. The Spaceman picked himself up, hearing a cry of fear and confusion from Honeydew behind him. He dare not look back, however; he had to focus. He raced up the stairs and came to the Skylord's side. Lysander was barely keeping his hands on the wheel when Xephos grabbed it as well.

"Look!" Peculier's aged voice caught Xephos' attention. He looked down at the man and noticed he was pointing ahead of the ship. The Spaceman shifted his eyes and saw the stone pyramid he and Honeydew had once raided, and beyond that, a mountain. But not just any mountain, it was the one that housed the Yogcave. Xephos and Honeydew had finally reached home after being on that island for so long.

However, Xephos had let himself become distracted, and the wheel slipped from both his and Lysander's hands. _The Celaeno_ suddenly turned in midair, throwing everyone to the side railing. Xephos was nearly flung over the side, but he caught himself before the force could do such a thing. With another small grunt of pain, Xephos raised his head to see the icy ground only seconds away from them.

"Everybody get down!" Was all he had time to say before _the Celaeno_ struck the frozen earth. Wood splintered on impact as the ship dragged across the ground, creating a crater in the path behind it. Xephos was flung forward over the railing and set flying a good few meters. The Spaceman instinctively threw his arms over his head as he hit the ice full force. After that, he knew no more.

* * *

Xephos moaned as he felt himself starting to wake up. He opened his eyes to see the grey sky above, snowflakes falling softly and silently towards him. The Spaceman laid there for a minute or two before he felt strength starting to return to his limbs. With another moan, he forced himself to sit. This was when he became aware of his headache, not to mention a sticky, warm feeling on the back of his head. Xephos reached a hand back there and felt the wet spot. When he removed it to look at it, his entire palm was dabbed in blood. Xephos just sat there and held his head with his clean hand, unable to think straight.

"Gods…what on Minecraftia-" He suddenly straightened as he recalled the crash. "Honeydew! Peculier! Lysander!" He scrambled to his feet and looked around. Small fires still burned on _the Celaeno_; or at least what was left of it. Wood, metal, and other ship parts were scattered about in all directions, patches of ice already having formed on some of the debris.

Ice… Xephos shivered and hugged himself, the cold starting to set in. The night was utterly silent except for the sounds of fire. He silently thanked Notch that a horde of zombies hadn't discovered them while they all were unconscious.

On wobbly legs, Xephos began to circle the remains of the ship.

"Honeydew? Lysander?" He called. No answer. "Anyone?!" Silence. He started to fear the worst when he heard something. A small moan, one of pain. Quickly turning, he saw his old friend sprawled out in the snow. Honeydew moaned again, this time louder. The Spaceman quickly shambled over, his legs surprisingly not broken anywhere, but still stiff as a skeleton's.

"Honeydew! Honeydew, can you hear me?" Xephos bent down and rolled the surprisingly tall dwarf onto his back. His iron helm seemed to have protected him from any serious head injuries, but the Spaceman could still see a rather large bump on his friend's cranium. Receiving no answer from Honeydew but knowing he was alive, Xephos scanned the area. He soon managed to make out two other humanoid shapes laying nearby. Xephos tried to stand again, but this time his legs failed him, and he fell flat on the ground. Frustrated, he managed to get himself onto all fours before he crawled over to the other two. Old_Peculier and Lysander, like Honeydew, were alive but still unconscious. Xephos sighed in relief and flopped down so only his elbows were supporting him.

"So…c-cold…" He muttered, noticing how much he was shivering for the first time. The fires from the wreckage had almost died and provided no source of heat whatsoever. Suddenly a memory struck him and he quickly dragged himself back over towards Honeydew. Shivering and exhausted, Xephos struggled to unloop Honeydew's small bag of valuables from his belt. When he finally got in undone, the Spaceman quickly dug through it.

"Please, please it has to be in here!" He said to himself. "Wait…yes!"

Tossing the bag to the side, Xephos now held in his hands one of Honeydew's favorite items: a Flint and Steel. He then quickly dug through the snow, all the way until he reached the frozen remains of grass. Setting the tool correctly in his hands, the Spaceman tried again and again to light a fire. Unfortunately, due to the poor kindling and his numb, shaking fingers, not a single spark came from the Flint and Steel. The Spaceman cursed loudly and threw the things down in frustration before he crumpled and fell to his side, hugging himself as a meager way to keep himself warm in frigid temperatures.

"Damn it…" He mumbled to himself. "Damn it damn it damn it!"

So this is how it ends. He and his friends freezing to death after a freak shipwreck accident. The fires were now out and the field was utterly silent. No creepers, no zombie moans, and no clinking of a skeleton patrolling around. _So close…_ he thought. _So damn close to home and we still failed._

Home.

_Home._

Home!

Suddenly another thought hit him like a brick. The Yogcave was right up the slope. All he had to do was grab a few torches and they all might survive! New motivation filling his muscles with strength, Xephos hauled himself up and made a break for the Yogcave. However, his newfound energy only lasted so long, and the Spaceman started stumbling about halfway up the hill.

"No! Must…get…" Xephos couldn't finish his sentence. Not only were his tired limbs starting to drag him down again, but he'd forgot about one thing; his head injury. The loss of blood was starting to make him dizzy, and poor Xephos felt to his knees, moaning at his lightheadedness.

"Damn it! Not….now…" Xephos struggled to keep himself upright. He looked up the hill. The door to the Yogcave was right there, a single torch persisting in the cold. Then, his vision blurred, and the Spaceman fell forward, unable to keep himself awake any longer.

* * *

The crunching of snow sounded through the silent field as two figures walked up to Xephos' unconscious form. The first, a man in dark robes and skin as white as the snow surrounding them, placed a foot on the Spaceman's back and leaned on the same leg, looking down at the man before him.

"Idiotic fool." He spat, his red eyes focused on the limp body below him. "Going through so much trouble in his condition for a few lousy torches."

Israphel lifted his foot off of Xephos' back and prodded his side with his boot. The other figure, none other than Creeper_Boss, hissed lightly as he studied the surrounding area.

"Let'sssssss just blow the place up already." The large creeper said, his voice wispy as he hissed like a snake at each "S" sound. "After all, it'sssssss what we came here to do."

The Dark Lord Israphel ignored his pet, bending down and placing two fingers on the side of the Spaceman's neck.

"So, he's still alive." He mumbled, feeling Xephos' slow pulse. His brow furrowed. Creeper_Boss knew this meant his master was formulating a plan.

"Underling, carry him back with us." He said, standing. Creeper_Boss looked momentarily confused before he quickly replaced it with the standard creeper glare.

"Will I ssssstill get to blow the cave to ssssmithereens, Masster?" He asked. Israphel just smirked and patted his pet's shoulder.

"Of course. Blow it up as much as you like."

Creeper_Boss seemed to smile (a rare and somewhat terrifying sight to see a creeper do so) before he bent down and slung the Spaceman over his shoulder with the one thing other creepers didn't possess: arms.

"Quickly now, we don't have all day." Israphel called as he walked towards the Yogcave door. The monstrous creeper followed his master excitedly, Xephos still hanging limply over his shoulder. The Dark Lord smirked.

The Spaceman would prove useful in his experiments.


	2. Chapter 2: Trouble Sinks In

**Separated**

**Chapter 2: Trouble Sinks In**

* * *

"Five more minutes, Mum..."

Lysander rolled his eyes at Honeydew. The Skylord shook the Dwarf again.

"Honeydew, wake up!" He said, becoming annoyed. His words jolted Honeydew awake.

"What? Oh…" The Dwarf then remembered the crash. He sat up. "Is everyone alright?"

"Peculier and I are fine." Lysander replied, adjusting his goggles as he stood up. Behind him, Old_Peculier sat up against a plank of wood embedded in the ground, his eyes closed. Honeydew thought he was still unconscious until the old man shifted and rubbed one of his eyes. The Dwarf then looked over and noticed his bag of valuables opened and laying nearby, his Flint and Steel discarded next to it. He raised a brow as he picked both up. Of course, the bag could've easily flung off his belt during the crash, but wouldn't the rest of his stuff be thrown out as well? Lysander interrupted his thoughts.

"It looks to be almost sunrise." He began, looking over and across the beach at the lightening sky. "We've been out for a good few hours now. It's a miracle we even survived."

Suddenly a thought struck the Dwarf.

"Where's Xephos?" He asked, standing. Lysander hadn't mentioned if he was okay or not. The Skylord just shrugged as he turned back to Peculier, kneeling down to tend to the man.

"Try searching around the other side of the ship. I haven't checked there yet." He replied. Honeydew sighed and began to head around the main wreckage of _the Celaeno_. The sun had risen slightly over the horizon, and the light stretched over the land, sending any nearby monsters into hiding. Honeydew came around the other side of the wreckage and looked around.

"Xephos? Pal? Ol' friend ol' buddy o' mine?" The Dwarf called, not seeing the Spaceman anywhere. It was then when something caught his eye; a splash of crimson on the white landscape. He hurried over, and upon closer inspection, Honeydew could identify blood and a vaguely Xephos-shaped indent in the snow, the blood centered around where his head would've been.

"Aye, this can't be good…" The dwarven man mumbled. "Now where has he run off too?" Although snow had fell while everyone was unconscious, Xephos' footprints were still visible, albeit a little difficult to see. Honeydew followed his friend's tracks silently, able to tell that Xephos had been stumbling as he walked. The trail led back to where Honeydew had been laying, and the deeper, larger imprints in the snow showed that the Spaceman had collapsed. He hadn't noticed them before.

Honeydew gave a brief glance towards Lysander and Peculier, who were discussing something quietly nearby. Returning to Xephos' tracks, the Dwarf then saw that the Spaceman had ran up the slope, towards the Yogcave.

"Probably left to go keep himself warm." Honeydew said to himself, rolling his eyes. "Ya'think he would've been nice enough to bring us insi- …oh… oh Notch, please no…"

The Dwarf had come to a spot where it was obvious Xephos had collapsed again, but what unnerved him was the sight of other tracks. There were two sets; one belonging to a man, and the other to a creeper. But not just any creeper; this one was huge by the size of the tracks, at least three times the size of a regular creeper. The only creeper that large would be Creeper_Boss, and the only man that could even go near that thing was…

"Guys!" Honeydew yelled in a high-pitched voice, common when he was stressed. Lysander and Peculier looked over to see the Dwarf run down the hill, nearly tripping and face-planting as he did. When he reached the two they could barely understand him with how fast he was speaking.

"T-There were tracks and I followed them and then there were more tracks and they were big, no wait one pair was big and the other wasn't but it's still a problem because Xephos and-"

"Calm down lad!" Lysander yelled, grabbing Honeydew by the shoulders and shaking him firmly. "Now, tell us again. _Slowly."_ The Dwarf took a breath but he still looked worried.

"Israphel has Xephos!" He cried.

"What? Are you sure?" Lysander asked. Peculier stood behind him, silently listening to what Honeydew had to say. He looked tired, and this news of Xephos did not ease it at all. Why would it?

"I followed his footprints up the slope, and then I saw Creeper_Boss had obviously been there, and…" Honeydew trailed off and stared at the ground. His hands curled into fists. "...and…now I'm all alone…"

Ever since the two had met, Xephos and Honeydew had never spent a day apart. They'd been through thick and thin, little things and big things, and were almost unstoppable, not to mention inseparable. And now with Xephos gone, Honeydew felt utterly crushed.

"Don't worry, friend." Lysander told him solemnly, placing a comforting hand on Honeydew's shoulder. It didn't help much, but it was something. "You have us. We'll get him back. I promise."

Meanwhile, Old_Peculier had turned to stare up at the entrance of a nearby cave. Evil moans and wails could be heard as a purple glow could be seen from deeper within the cave. The old man glared up at it, a fist forming in his hand.

"First Daisy…now the hero." He said under his breath. Lysander and Honeydew stopped their conversation to look at him, having heard him. Old_Peculier turned towards his comrades, anger eminent on his face.

"Come friends, let's not waste any more time." He told them, reaching for his sword on the side of his belt. "The portal is here. Let's show that blasted Israphel that his time is up!"

Lysander and Honeydew shared a look before looking back at the old man, smiling and nodding. Old_Peculier raised his sword to the air.

"For Daisy!" He cried, running towards the cave. Lysander took his own scabbard and did the same as Peculier.

"For glory!"

Honeydew raised his trusty diamond pickaxe.

"For Xephos!"

All three men charged bravely up to the cave, determined to save their dear friends. They soon reached the cursed altar where the Nether Portal stood, the disturbing moans and wails getting louder as they approached. The rescue team ran up to it and charged through…

…only to stumble and fall out the other side, the three landing in a dog pile.

"Blast!" Peculier yelled as he sat up, slamming a fist on the cobblestone ground. "The demon must've sealed it!"

"Um…can you get off of us, please?" Honeydew asked, stuck on the bottom with both Lysander and Peculier on top of him. The old man looked down and frowned.

"Ah, sorry."

The three stood and studied the Hellgate from behind. The obsidian structure looked identical from the back as it did in front.

"Well…what now?" Honeydew asked, downhearted.

"Looks like we must destroy it." Peculier said glumly.

"But what about Daisy, and Xephos?"

"There are many more Hellgates in this world, most forgotten in time. We'll just have to find those two using the others."

"Honeydew, use your pick to destroy this thing." Lysander broke in, stroking his chin. "The less of these things wreaking havoc, the better." The tall Dwarf nodded and grabbed his pickaxe again, beginning the long hard work of breaking a chunk of obsidian. While Lysander watched, Old_Peculier had turned and noticed something odd. Sand, and a lot of it, piled in the corners of the room that held the Nether Portal. He knelt down to examine it.

"Sand? Here? This could only mean…" He trailed off as his eyes widened in horrible realization. "Oh, no."

"What?" Honeydew asked, having just finished breaking the obsidian frame of the Portal. The purple glow from it died and the moans were abruptly cut off. Old_Peculier turned to face his two companions.

"These are ill times, my friends, ill times indeed. Quickly, we must reach Mistral as soon as possible!"

"Mistral?" Honeydew asked, tilting his head to the side in confusion.

"He means Mistral City, where I hail from." Lysander explained. "By the way, Honeydew, you've mentioned that you lived near here?"

"Yes, of course! The Yogcave!" Honeydew beamed with pride at the memory of his home. He looked back towards the back of the room. "There should be a back entrance around here somewhere…"

After a bit of searching, the three managed to locate the tunnel to the Yogcave behind a wall of sand. Honeydew was just about to continue down it when he heard a loud cough behind him. Both Lysander and the Dwarf turned to see Peculier hunched over with a hacking fit, his health having taken a sudden turn for the worst. They rushed to his aide.

"Easy, old man." Lysander warned, supporting Peculier as he finished his fit. The old man stood straight afterwards.

"I'll be fine." He told them, although his words were shaky. "Let's get a move on."

The Dwarf and the Skylord looked concerned before they nodded in unison, turning back towards the tunnel and heading down it. The stretch of stone seemed to never end for a while, but eventually the three could see a light up ahead of them. Honeydew squinted at it.

"Strange, I don't remember the torches being that bright…" He mumbled. Something was amiss. Forgetting Lysander and Peculier for a moment, the Dwarf took off down the rest of the tunnel and came out into the Yogcave.

At least, what was _supposed _to be the Yogcave.

Where the humble abode used to sit, a deep crater lay in its place. Fire still roared all around, showing the blast that destroyed the place had been recently. Honeydew's jaw fell open as he stared out at the nightmare in front of him. First Xephos, and now the Yogcave. He obviously couldn't catch a break today.

"Nooo!" The Dwarf cried and cursed angrily as he fell to his knees. He was struggling to keep tears back as Lysander and Old_Peculier emerged from the tunnel behind him.

"What on Minecraftia has happened!?" Lysander asked, just as shocked as Honeydew was. The Dwarf was too busy throwing a mini tantrum to give an answer as Peculier started coughing again. The Skylord couldn't help but sigh.

Honeydew finally calmed down and stood up. He looked over and noticed that one corner of his house lay intact nearby, complete with a furnace, crafting table, and a few chests.

"This way." He called back to the others before finding a way over to the outcropping of wood. Lysander looped an arm under Peculier's, having to support the old man again as he led him over.

Honeydew dug through a chest picking up any useful items he could find while Lysander sat Peculier down, the former knight having fallen into another coughing fit.

"I can't stay here long." He managed to croak out. "The smoke…"

"Here, old man." Honeydew knelt before Peculier, a cooked porkchop in his gloved hand. "This'll help."

"Thanks, friend." He replied gratefully before gulping the meat down.

"We must leave soon. Very soon." Lysander began after a small bout of silence. "Peculier's strength is fading, and it is almost nightfall. Salvage what you can, the hike to Mistral will be about a day from here."

Honeydew made a quick double check of his supplies before helping Peculier to his feet. The three adventurers then made their way out the front door of the Yogcave, which had surprisingly taken no damage. As Lysander and Peculier went on ahead, Honeydew stopped and looked where Xephos' had been laying before Israphel and Creeper_Boss found him.

"I'm coming, friend." He whispered. He would've stood there longer if Lysander's shout hadn't caught his attention, and the Dwarf reluctantly headed down the slope.

* * *

Xephos jolted awake in his bed, desperately trying to catch his breath. He thought his nightmare would never end. All the fire, the plague, his friends crying out in horrible agony… Xephos moaned and sat on the edge of the bed, holding his head in both hands.

"What the _fuck_…" he panted, not able to shake the horrible images from his mind. Finally managing to calm himself, Xephos stood and studied his surroundings. That's when the first question hit him: Where the hell was he?

The Spaceman looked around the room. It was made entirely of some strange material. It looked like some dark-colored stone, but the patterning seemed to be bricks stacked upon each other. He'd never seen anything like it before. The only thing in the room was his bed and a foul-smelling bucket in the opposite corner of the space. He pulled a face at the stench, guessing what it was used for.

The only exit to the room was an iron door, and it then came clear to Xephos that he was in a cell of some sorts. He sighed and hung his head, but that's when he noticed something.

His clothes had completely changed. A white shirt now replaced his Starship uniform, said shirt having horizontal stripes of light blue across it. Over the shirt was a deep red trench coat that went to his knees, adorned with brass buttons down one side and golden stitching around his shoulders and parts of his coatsleeves. His pants were now a dull brown color, and he seemed to be wearing black dress shoes.

"What in bloody hell is going on?" He gasped, staring down at his new outfit. He walked over to the iron door and banged on it.

"Hey! I demand to know where the hell I am!" He yelled. Much to his surprise (and utter horror), a zombie appeared at the door's barred window, making Xephos nearly jump out of his skin and step back against the opposite wall. The zombie seemed to try and respond to him, but with its rotting jaws, all it could make were moans and groans before it stepped out of sight.

Xephos stared at the door. This didn't make any sense. The last thing he knew was being out by the crash… the crash! Xephos slid down the wall and stared at the ceiling, praying Honeydew and the others were alright.

"I'm…I'm all alone…"

Suddenly a muffled voice came out of nowhere, and to his surprise, it sounded familiar. And female.

"Xephos? Xephos, is that you?"

"Daisy!" The Spaceman scrambled over to the wall where he thought he heard Daisy's voice come from. "Y-Yes, it's me! Daisy, I'm so glad you're alive!"

"I wish I wasn't." Came Daisy's sad reply. It seemed she was in the cell next to his. "Utter torture down here, with all these zombies and moaning and creepers… How did you get thrown in here?"

"I'm…I'm not sure." Xephos responded. "Listen, I'll figure something out. Israphel can't keep us in here forever." The sudden realization that he was being held by Israphel made him shiver. "B-But I'll think of something to get us out of here. If there's a will, there's a way!"

"Right. Listen, we can't talk much longer. Zombie patrols come by every few minutes or so." Xephos thought he heard Daisy move when zombie moans came from down the hallway. "Shh! Here they come."

Xephos nodded even though Daisy couldn't see it, and he slowly moved over back against the wall opposite the door. Here he was, trapped in the Nether, the last place he wished to be. The Spaceman sighed and looked up at the ceiling again.

"Honeydew, everyone, please be alright…"


	3. Chapter 3: Demented Dinner Party

**Separated**

**Chapter 3: Demented Dinner Party**

* * *

Xephos sat silently in his cell, head down as his arm hung loosely over his knees, the other pinned against his stomach by his leg. He'd been sitting in the same position for hours, thinking, building plans for multiple scenarios with multiple outcomes.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been locked up in here, but he doubted it had been more than a day or two. The Spaceman exhaled sharply as he lifted his head, staring at the ceiling once more.

"Damn it all."

Xephos' thoughts were interrupted when he heard a creaking noise, and the room suddenly became a lot brighter. Xephos looked over to see two surprisingly large zombies, at least seven feet tall, standing at his cell's open door, staring at him intently. One stepped forward and grabbed the Spaceman by the arm, yanking him to his feet and shoving him out the door. The other closed the door with a loud slam, and Xephos was then led down the hall.

"Where're we going?" he asked. Neither zombie attempted to answer, and their silence unnerved the Spaceman slightly. These zombies sounded no moans, no growls, and they walked quickly and almost perfectly. He hoped he'd never had to run into these two on the battlefield.

The zombies brought Xephos to a tall obsidian double door. The Spaceman couldn't help but admire its craftsmanship. Whoever could craft such a fine door out of obsidian certainly had skill. The zombie not holding Xephos stepped forward and opened the door as the other lifted the Spaceman off the ground by the back of his collar, nearly choking him. Forced to stare at the ground, Xephos was carried forward before being dropped into a chair somewhat harshly. He expected the zombies to strap him down, but much to his surprise, they didn't. He heard them quietly move back towards the door.

The Spaceman looked up to see he was in a dining room of some sorts, the domed roof made out of the same material as his cell. The ground seemed to have a thin layer of carpeting, but in the dim lighting he couldn't be certain. Xephos looked at the long table in front of him. It was wooden, like his chair, and painted black. A white tablecloth was draped over it, and the whole tabletop was covered in many entrees and desserts, most alien to him. He was aware of a few zombies and creepers elsewhere in the room, but he paid no attention to them. His eyes were fixed on the figure all the way on the other side of the table, hands folded patiently in front of him, his thumbs tapping together as his red eyes stared back at the Spaceman.

Israphel.

The demon was smiling, and not in his usual cold, sadistic way. It was a warmer one, but it didn't mask the chilling, calculating evil that lay behind it.

"Hello Xephos. Enjoy your stay so far?" He asked, holding his smile. His broke eye contact with the Spaceman momentarily to nod at an undead Reverend_John, who had been leaning on a nearby wall. Xephos watched as he picked up a violin and started playing a slow tune. The Spaceman had to admit he didn't sound half bad, but that didn't make up for his new grotesque appearance, nor the fact that the Reverend had tried to kill both himself and Honeydew a few months earlier.

"Go on, try the food." Israphel's voice made Xephos return his attention to the figure across from him. The Spaceman stared at him, a cold glare plastered to his face. But Israphel showed no reaction, simply waiting for him to take a bite. The Spaceman's gaze shifted to his plate. A slice of some odd meat and what looked to be mashed potatoes was already laid out for him. He suspected a poison of some sorts, but he had not eaten a decent meal in months. Basically all he and Honeydew had eaten was bread out on that island, and that was barely enough to fill either of them. Eventually, Xephos sighed and picked up a knife and fork, giving in to his hunger and tried a bite of the meat.

Israphel's expression didn't change. Xephos swallowed.

"It's alright." He gave a begrudging reply. He reached for a nearby goblet and peered into it. It appeared to be red wine, but he gave it a quick sniff to make sure Israphel wasn't trying to slip him blood or anything. After checking it, he took a quick swig before returning to his steak.

"Do you like your new attire?" Israphel asked next. "Your old outfit was getting rather old and worn out, don't you think?" Xephos swallowed another bite before replying.

"I guess." He responded, mumbling slightly. "I have to admit though, they're rather comfortable."

"Good. Glad you like them."

Xephos couldn't believe what was happening. He was actually sitting here, eating and talking to this man, no, this _thing _in front of him. The evil Lord of the Nether, his and Daisy's captor, and not to mention all the other horrid things he's done. _Israphel. _Bah. Just _thinking_ the name angered him, this whole situation sickening him to the core. Still, Xephos sat there, only speaking when spoken to, and muddled through it. Something told him if he made a run for it he'd regret it dearly.

"I do hope you feel comfortable staying here, Xephos. After all, it'll be a while until you get out of here. If you're lucky." Israphel spoke once more, adding the last part more to himself. Still, Xephos heard and looked up at him, putting his knife and fork down for a moment.

"And what exactly do you plan to do with me?" He asked, leaning back in his chair. Israphel chuckled slightly.

"Oh, nothing too extreme. You see, Xephos, I like you. You _think. _You plan before you act, unlike that dwarven friend of yours. We'd make a good team, you and I…"

Xephos took another sip of his drink before replying. "Never."

"Believe me, I knew the answer long before I posed the question. I'm not forcing you into anything here, Spaceman. I'm just saying it would make this whole upcoming process a lot easier."

Xephos looked up and glared at him again. A zombie came by and refilled his plate. For the first time he noticed that Israphel's plate was empty, renewing his suspicion. Then again, he was the Lord of the Nether and all. He could eat the souls of infants for all Xephos knew.

"So, what? Are going to torture me for information, cut me open and all that crap?"

"Oh, no, Xephos. Of course not. Like I said, I like you. No harm shall come to you….as long as you behave, that is. I simply want to observe."

Xephos' fingers started to drum impatiently on the wood. He reached and took another sip of his drink. Israphel was speaking in riddles, which could only mean he was hiding something.

"…Are my friends alright?" He asked, changing the subject.

"What, the Dwarf and the others? Yes, they're all doing fine. For now, that is. I do have plans for them down the road."

"They'd power through it."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I know them. They won't give in to the taint of yours that easily."

"You're right about that. It'll take time, but I'll break them. Them and every other intelligent being up on the surface. Just wait and see…"

Xephos was done with his meal, but he swished his drink in the goblet every so often before taking a sip.

"….In theory, Xephos, what would you do if your dwarf friend died? You two seemed awfully close." Israphel asked. Xephos froze, and he knew Israphel saw him do so.

"…I don't know." He admitted. "I can't really imagine Honeydew being gone. Life with him has become routine." Israphel just nodded as he readied another question.

"It was four years ago you met, correct?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure- wait, how the hell do you know that?" Xephos had thought Israphel's power had been sealed in the Nether up until recently. He now guessed his thoughts were wrong. Dead wrong.

"I know more than you think, Xephos. Especially about the, how to say, _accident."_

"Y…You're lying!"

"You seem upset, Xephos. Hit a rough patch on memory lane, have I?"

"You shut up this instant!"

"Let's see, it all started one night out in space-"

"ENOUGH!" Xephos suddenly stood and slammed his hands down on the table, a quick _chink _following as all the plates bounced and hit the table again in unison. Reverend_John jumped at his outburst, and a sour note came from his violin. Silence filled the room as the Spaceman glared at Israphel with pure hatred, but the Dark Lord could see fear hidden in his deep blue eyes. This amused him. Xephos turned and stormed back towards the door. Israphel let him go, knowing his minions would make sure he got back to his cell.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Israphel shook his head with a smirk, Reverend_John walking over. "You're a smart man, Xephos, but that was a very stupid move." The Dark Lord tilted his head back and tapped his chin. He'd noticed something else while the two talked. Known to the Spaceman or not, Xephos had taken quite a liking to his drink. Israphel reached into his breast pocket and removed a small vile of crimson liquid.

"Well, I'm glad he enjoyed it." He said before chuckling again. "Soon, Spaceman, very soon. Things will change, and I will observe. _Just_ like I promised."


	4. Chapter 4: Mistral City

**Separated**

**Chapter 4: Mistral City**

* * *

Honeydew reached the top of a hill and stopped, bending over slightly to catch his breath.

"Damn creepers. Why do they even have to exist in the first place?" He mumbled. "I mean, all they do is blow shit up!" He straightened and turned to see Lysander and Old_Peculier right behind him, the Skylord helping Peculier walk while Honeydew had kept the monsters at bay. The two stopped by Honeydew's side.

"How much farther?" The Dwarf asked Lysander. The Skylord looked past the Dwarf and squinted a bit before smiling.

"Well, we're almost there! Just a few more minutes down the path." He looked towards the sky, which was starting to lighten from the red-orange glow from the east. "I'm glad you'll be able to see the towers of Mistral at dawn."

Peculier started coughing again, causing both Honeydew and Lysander to return their attention back to him.

"Not a moment too soon…" The old man wheezed. Lysander adjusted Peculier in his grip before looking at Honeydew.

"Let's go, then." The Dwarf nodded and started down the hill, his companions following close behind. A few minutes of walking later, Honeydew looked up to see tall spires stretch up before him. Mistral City stood tall and proud, the new sunlight glinting off of the airships floating above the streets below. A cobblestone wall surrounded the area, the only way past it a gate. A drawbridge was lowered to help travelers cross the moat surrounding the wall.

Lysander caught up to Honeydew and smiled at his home city.

"Ah, here we are. Quickly, Peculier's family owns a house on Victoria Street. We'll stop there."

"Righto, mate. Peculier needs his rest." Honeydew agreed, starting towards the city again. Lysander helped Old_Peculier forward, the three stepping around a crater in the path, most likely caused by a creeper explosion. Right before they reached the drawbridge, an empty guard station sat beside the path. Lysander raised a brow.

"Strange. I thought the gate was guarded all hours." Honeydew looked through the window.

"It doesn't look like anyone's been inside for a good while." The tall Dwarf responded, squinting past the layer of dust and streaks on the window to see the dimly lit inside.

"This can't be good." Lysander frowned. "Let's get going."

The three crossed the drawbridge and entered the grand city. Three large fountains sat in front of them, all made with more cobblestone, much like the streets. The three walked further down the main path, Honeydew looking around at the buildings as he walked. His attention was then caught by the sound of humming, and he looked ahead of him to see a man watering flowers in front of what seemed to be a Church.

"Father_Braeburn!" Lysander called. The man stopped his humming a turned around.

"Lysander! Good to see you." His voice was calm and even.

"Where is everyone?" Lysander asked. Father_Braeburn frowned.

"Well, after you left, reports of monsters outside the city started increasin'. After a few citizens started to go missing, people packed up and left for Icaria. Only a few of us remain here." The Skylord sighed.

"Thanks, Father. We'll catch up later." He said, turning and still guiding Peculier up the street. Honeydew brought up the rear.

"May Notch watch over you and your friends!" Braeburn called after them.

They all walked towards Victoria Street, the path becoming narrower as the number of buildings increased. The party was forced to walk single file, Peculier managing to walk using the wall. Suddenly, Honeydew stopped and sniffed the air. He smelled smoke.

"Aye, anyone else smell that?" He asked, looking around.

"Probably just Granny's cooking." Lysander called, leading the line. "Her shop is right he- …Oh. Well. Um..."

Lysander had just reached the end of the narrow walkway, which had opened up to a small ridge, and a house just down the path a ways. Or, what used to a house. Now sat a charred wooden frame of what used to be a large, well-built structure. Fires still burned inside and around it, but surprisingly no flames spread to the other just-as-flammable buildings nearby. Old_Peculier looked over Lysander's shoulder, and his eyes widened in horror.

"MY HOUSE!" He yelled, his voice ringing across the entirety of the empty city. Pushing past Lysander, the old man ran up to the inferno and tried to put the closest fire out to no avail. The flames were persistent, as if not from this world. Lysander and Honeydew eventually had to pull Peculier away from the fire before he burned himself on these unholy flames.

"It's a lost cause, man!" Honeydew yelled, trying to keep the old man back.

"The Dwarf is right, Peculier. It's unsalvageable." Lysander added, frowning. "I'm truly sorry for your loss, friend."

Old_Peculier sighed a heavy sigh, hanging is head. Lysander and Honeydew slowly released their grip on him, as if expecting him to pull another wild move with the fire again.

"Well, where do we go now? Peculier's house is out of the question." Honeydew asked.

"I suppose we can stay at my house." Lysander said, rubbing his chin. He turned and pointed farther down the ridge. "It's just down this path here."

The three formed their lineup again; Lysander in front, Peculier in the middle, and Honeydew at the rear. They followed the cobblestone path a little ways down the ridge, where Lysander's house sat.

"The Elysium?" Honeydew asked, reading the sign above the door. "Why's it named that?" Lysander gave no answer as he helped Peculier inside. Honeydew sighed before following, closing the door inside him.

It was a cozy place. The front door led to the living room, where a few couches sat around a pink rug. The rest of the floor was cobblestone, and a fireplace sat near the two couches, logs stacked and ready for whenever the next fire was to be lit. Besides a painting and a few windows, not much else was in the room. Lysander helped Peculier up the stone stairs as Honeydew took a seat on the couch. He slumped down and put his hands behind his head, staring at the wall across from him in boredom. He started humming the first random dwarf hymn that came to his mind, listening to the voices of Lysander and Peculier upstairs. Slowly, his thoughts started to drift off to memories of some shenanigans he and Xephos had pulled in the past. The Dwarf instantly frowned, stopping his humming.

"Xephos…"

Is he even alive? Who knows what hellish things go on in the Nether. Honeydew had heard stories about it since he was young, and none portrayed any good in the place. Not only was he trapped in that fire pit, but Xephos was stuck down there with Israphel. If they didn't get there soon, both Xephos and Daisy would be destroyed, either by the flames of the Nether or by the hands of the demon.

Honeydew's thoughts were interrupted by Lysander's footsteps. He looked over to see the Skylord coming down the stairs.

"How's Peculier?" Honeydew asked. Lysander looked over, hands in his coat pockets.

"He's resting in the bedroom now." He replied. "We have a few hours to look around. Would you like a tour of Mistral?"

"I guess." Honeydew said, standing. Anything to keep his mind off of his poor friend. Lysander turned and headed for the door again, the Dwarf following after him. The two walked back up the path they had come from.

"Here's Granny_Bacon's Greasy Spoon Shop." Lysander said, pointing to a building next to Peculier's old home. "Best restaurant in the whole city."

Honeydew smiled before a growl rumbled from his gut. He looked down before looking at Lysander.

"Mind if we stop here? I'm a bit peckish."

"No problem. I'm a bit hungry myself."

The two then headed into the shop.

* * *

Sometime later, Lysander dragged Honeydew back out of Granny's shop, a _very _annoyed expression on his face. Honeydew had a complacent grin, seeming to be distanced from reality at the moment.

"Bye Grannnyyy…" He said, waggling his fingers as a wave. An old woman behind the shop's counter blushed and giggled.

"See ya' Honey. Come back whenva' you feel like it."

Honeydew held his dumb grin before Lysander whirled him around and slapped him.

"Ow! What the hell, man?!" Honeydew asked, snapping out of his trance and rubbing his sore cheek.

"Dear Notch, Honeydew! Do you know how you acted in there?" Lysander asked him. "Now I understand why Xephos kept you on such a short leash. That mouth and attitude of yours could get you kicked out of anywhere!"

Honeydew drew back, taking some offense to Lysander's statements but understanding his anger.

"I'm sorry…" was all he could say. Lysander sighed.

"It is fine, friend. Just watch yourself from now on." The Skylord replied. "Now, on with the tour?"

"On with the tour."

The two then continued back down the path, passing the church and the fountains again. Heading straight past the church, Lysander pointed to a building as they passed.

"This is Snozzi's House of Adult Entertainment and Pleasure." He told the Dwarf before adding more quietly. "I assume you can figure out just what _type_ of entertainment."

Honeydew snickered as he followed the Skylord through the streets, finding it terribly ironic that such a place was next to a church. The turned a corner and found what looked to be a tennis court.

"Here's the Sports Court." Lysander continued. "Right now you can only play tennis off of it. And here's the Opium Hut..."

Lysander seemed to speak the name of the building with some distain in his voice. Honeydew read the sign above the door.

_Absolutely NO minors allowed!_

Seeking the opportunity, Honeydew smiled. "Hey, Lysander, looks like I'm not allowed inside…" He held up his pickaxe that had been strapped to his belt. "Ya'know, 'cause I'm a miner!" He then gave a hearty dwarven laugh. Lysander looked at him before he chuckled a bit.

"Good one, I'll give you that." He responded. Honeydew looked back at the Opium Hut and through the window, noticed someone inside.

"Hey, who's that?" He asked. Lysander looked at the man and frowned.

"Oh, that's Skylord_Jasper. He's not the nicest guy around…"

Honeydew smiled again, getting another idea. Clearing his throat and adjusting his belt, the Dwarf barged into the hut, interrupting Skylord_Jasper's fix. The Skylord glared at him.

"GET OUT SIMPLETON!" He yelled, furious.

"WHERE IS DRUGS?" Honeydew responded, faking a slightly crazed expression before Jasper shoved him out the door, slamming it in his face. Honeydew laughed as Lysander face-palmed, torn between laughing and wishing Xephos was here to help him keep Honeydew in line.

"Anyway, shall we continue?" He asked. Honeydew nodded, wiping away a tear from laughing so hard at his own, somewhat odd joke. Lysander led him down another narrow street before it opened. There was a fenced off area with a sign. Honeydew stepped closer and read it.

"'Danger, mine condemned, keep out.'" He quoted out loud. He suddenly heard a hissing noise and screamed in a rather high-pitched voice when he saw that a creeper was just in front of him, the only thing between them the fence. Lysander placed a hand on Honeydew's shoulder to calm him.

"Calm yourself, friend! That thing's harmless behind that fence." Lysander told him. It was true; creepers only exploded when they were right next to their target, and the fence kept the creeper too far away for it to hurt anyone. It was a good thing creepers weren't very good jumpers, either, or there would be a wild creeper loose in the city. How it even got there, however, was a complete mystery. Honeydew straightened and cleared his throat.

"Uhh, right! I wasn't scared or anythin'. Nope. Not at all." The dwarven man replied, trying his best to save his pride. Lysander rolled his eyes before dragging Honeydew down the path more.

"Here's Duke Smithy." He said next, passing by the old blacksmith's shop. Honeydew squinted to read the sign nailed to the door.

_Shop closed until further notice._

Honeydew blinked. "Wait, _Duke _smithy? As in Daisy Duke?"

Lysander nodded grimly. "It's her father's place, but looks like he left to go search for his daughter."

"How sad…"

"Quite."

The two continued along the city's streets, passing the Lumber Yard, Notice Board, and a few other trivial things. Eventually they came back around to the rear of the Church, and Honeydew noticed for the first time; a giant stain glass window of an apple.

"It's beautiful!" He cried, smiling. Lysander nodded.

"Yes, it is. It's the Church of the Holy Apple, after all."

Honeydew was momentarily confused, wondering why people would worship an apple before he shrugged it off. Lysander turned and started heading down another street.

"Well, that's about everything. We can cut through the graveyard to get back to the main square." He called back to the Dwarf. Honeydew nodded and followed. The Skylord opened the back gate of the graveyard and was about to head inside before he froze and ducked back behind the Church.

"What?" Honeydew asked before he was quickly shushed by Lysander. The two peeked around the corner of the building to see Skylord_Jasper enter the graveyard through the main gate, his expression solemn as he placed a bouquet of roses down on top of one grave. He stared the tombstone for a moment before he sighed and left, closing the main gate behind him.

Lysander and Honeydew looked at each other before rushing over to the grave Jasper had visited. Upon the tombstone were bold letters carved into the stone.

_Reverend_John_

_Missing_

_Presumed Undead_

"Aye, not good. Not good at all." Honeydew mumbled, remembering his run in with the Reverend only a few months ago. Lysander looked confused and stroked his chin, trying to piece together why Jasper would be so concerned about Reverend_John as Honeydew started to look at the other graves. Some were terribly ironic, almost making the Dwarf laugh. There was Fellofalot, and he apparently died by falling off…a lot. There was another that simply read _Michael Barrymore's Career_, which just had to be a joke. Honeydew felt bad for laughing before he noticed something. There was a lone grave, near the very back of the graveyard. He walked over and read the tombstone.

_Israphel_

_We don't speak of him._

"He's here, too?" The Dwarf asked, his brow furrowing. Part of him wanted to tear up the grave to see if there was another secret passage like there was in Terrorvale, but he then thought against it.

"Honeydew, come look at this." Lysander's voice called from across the graveyard. Honeydew turned to see the Skylord standing in front of two open graves, frowning. The Dwarf ran over and looked into the two holes. Absolutely nothing. He frowned before he realized that Lysander wasn't looking at the graves themselves, but the signs used as temporary gravestones. He read them closely. They were his and Xephos' graves.

"What the bloody hell is this?" He asked as he motioned towards the graves in front of him, more confused than scared at the ominous sight.

"I'm not sure." Lysander replied, scratching his head. "But I think it's clear that Israphel had something to do with this."

Honeydew fixed his gaze on the two signs again and noticed more text, but in smaller print. Under his name was written "AAAAAAAH!", as if he was supposed to be screaming and/or falling to his death. Xephos', however, was a lot simpler. All that was written was "Goodbye, friend".

Honeydew's heart sank. Those words reminded him of his friend's deadly predicament, and what would happen if they couldn't save him. Lysander noticed the Dwarf's change of attitude and rested another hand on his shoulder.

"C'mon, let's get going. I still have to show you the upper level." He told him. Honeydew stood silently for a moment before nodding, and the two continued on their way.

* * *

_Author's Note: Sorry for not much happening in this chapter. Have to stick to the source material every now and then, after all. Anyway, I hope you still enjoyed!_


	5. Chapter 5: Dark Intentions

**Separated**

**Chapter 5: Dark Intentions**

* * *

Xephos awoke and slowly sat up in his bed, head in his hands again before he dragged them down his face.

"Blimey, I barely slept at all…" He mumbled, kicking off his covers and sitting on the edge of the bed. The few winks of sleep he managed to get were filled with memories of night. _That _night. The Spaceman then noticed he was shaking, and he gripped his arm to make himself stop. "Pull yourself together, man."

"Hey, Xephos, are you alright?" Daisy's voice came through the wall, having heard him move around. Xephos got up and walked closer to the wall separating them.

"I'm fine, Daisy. No need to worry."

"Then what were you up mumbling about all night?"

"Excuse me?" Xephos was honestly taken by surprise by this. He'd never been one to talk in his sleep. Besides, he barely slept anyway. Most of the night he had been tossing and turning, thinking about his predicament and how his comrades were doing. That reminded him; he still needed to think of a way out of here.

"Your mumbling." Daisy repeated.

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about." Xephos admitted. "Did you manage to pick up anything I said?"

"No, sorry." Daisy paused for a moment. "I'm worried for you, Xephos. You don't seem to be yourself."

"I'll be fine, Daisy. Believe me. Israphel won't get to me that easily." He replied.

"But-" Daisy attempted to protest, but the zombie moans coming down the hall indicated their conversation was over for now. As the patrol shuffled by, Xephos slid down the wall opposite the door again, slipping into a sitting position. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled. He needed to calm down and focus on working a way out of here, and stressing himself out over nightmares wasn't helping. The Spaceman opened his eyes and noticed something for the first time. There, leaning against his bed, was a sword, sheathed and all ready for use. Xephos raised a brow.

"When did this thing get here?" He asked, reaching over and grabbing the sheathe by the strap. He dragged the sword over and unsheathed it. It was made of fine diamond; much like the one Daisy had made him. The blade glinted blue from the light out in the hall, the hilt was strong and easy to grip, perfect for those fights where dodging and slashing were key to survival. A flawless red gem sat in the center of the hilt, right where the hilt met the blade. It appeared to be a ruby, but there seemed to be a bright orange color mixed deep within the jewel as well. Xephos adjusted his grip on the hilt before taking a few swings, trying to get used to a sword like this again. He smiled and looked at the blade again. Perhaps this would help him escape later down the road.

Suddenly, he felt as though something was amiss. He looked the sword over again. Everything seemed fine, and nothing was happening in his cell. Xephos was about to sheathe his sword again, but that's when he saw it. The thing that was wrong was his _reflection_ off the sword. Xephos screamed and threw the sword against the opposite wall, a loud _clang_ sounding as it bounced and hit the ground.

"Xephos! Xephos, what's wrong?" Daisy's voice sounded. "Xephos, answer me!"

But the Spaceman didn't answer. His back was pressed against the wall, staring at the sword in horror. Slowly, hesitantly, he shifted and started to crawl towards it. He picked it up by the hilt with a shaking hand and quickly turned it so he could see his reflection. After studying it for a moment, the Spaceman sighed in relief as he relaxed. Whatever frightened him was gone. That was when Xephos became aware of Daisy's voice.

"I'm…I'm fine, Daisy." He managed to get out as he caught his breath.

"Well, you don't sound fine to me. That yell of yours scared me half to death! Are you sure you're alright, Xephos?" She asked again, worry eminent in her voice.

This time, Xephos didn't have an answer. His back fell against the wall again, the sword on the ground beside him. He stared at the ceiling, desperately trying to get his thoughts in order. Soon, he let his head fall into his hands again, his fingers digging into his scalp. His thoughts kept going back to his reflection, the thing that gave him such a shock. He didn't want to believe it, but he saw it, and it terrified him.

His eyes had been glowing red.

* * *

Reverend_John knocked on another large obsidian door before waiting silently. After a moment, he heard his master's voice on the other side.

"Enter."

The undead Reverend did so. Pushing the doors open, he entered Israphel's main quarters. The Dark Lord was sitting on a well-padded throne, leaning back in his seat. Creeper_Boss was standing behind him, giant arms wrapped around the back of the throne as he lowered his head so Israphel could scratch him under the chin. Israphel was doing so, and Creeper_Boss gave a smile along with a purr-like hiss. Reverend_John approached the two, and he cleared his throat before speaking.

"I have news about our guest, master." He said, his speech surprisingly not affected at all with half of his lower jaw missing.

"Go on. What about him?" The Dark Lord asked, staring down at his underling from his high perch.

"The potion is starting to take effect."

Israphel grinned sadistically. "Excellent. How far has it taken a hold of him?"

"Just basic hallucinations and paranoia so far." The Reverend replied, adjusting the collar of his robes as he cleared his throat again. "Let's give him a few days before we up the dosage."

Israphel nodded in agreement. Reaching into his breast pocket again, he pulled out the vile of crimson liquid before tossing it to Reverend_John. The zombie successfully caught it, not wanting to think about what would've happened if he dropped it.

"Make sure to make a few more bottles of that. We don't want to run out now, do we?" He said, smirking. The Reverend nodded and put the vile away before turning. About halfway back to the door, he stopped, remembering something he wanted to ask.

"Master, if I may…" he began, turning back to face Israphel. The Lord of the Nether looked back over, and he dropped his arm back down onto the armrest, showing Creeper_Boss he was done stroking him for now. The gigantic creeper frowned and drew his head back, but still sat behind his master's chair loyally.

"What do you want to ask?"

"I was just wondering what you plan to do with the Spaceman after you've finished…" he searched for the correct word. "…toying with him. Do you plan to convert him over to our cause?"

"That _was_ my original intent, yes." Israphel said, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his chair again. "But I thought of something better. I thought he'd be a great source of entertainment."

"Entertainment, Master?"

"Yes. You see, what's more fun than watching a once respectable man writhe around in his own self-pity?" Israphel looked at the Reverend with a devilish smirk. "I'm going to tear him apart from the inside out, make him hate his very existence, and when he begs for mercy, I won't give it to him. He'll spend the rest of his days in utter agony, a fate far worse than any death I can whip up for him. Not to mention it's far more interesting to watch."

Reverend_John listened, and when Israphel finished, he nodded.

"I was just curious, Master. Anyway, that's everything I have to report for now. I'll be off." The Reverend then exited the room, closing the heavy obsidian door behind him. The door slamming shut caused a dull thud to ring throughout Israphel's chambers. The Dark Lord raised his arm again to scratch Creeper_Boss' chin, to which the creeper quickly accepted. Peculier and the others would be in Mistral by now, but he had plenty of time to deal with them. All he had to do was wait. Wait for his dark potion to break Xephos' mind.


	6. Chapter 6: The Wizard's Tower

**Separated**

**Chapter 6: The Wizard's Tower**

* * *

Lysander and Honeydew walked quietly down the streets of Mistral, the Skylord's hands behind his back as he looked thoughtfully up towards the sky. Honeydew had his hands in his pockets as he kicked a pebble, an awkward silence having formed between the two after visiting the graveyard. Eventually, Lysander led the Dwarf to a tall wooden tower, so tall it reached to the clouds.

"And here's the Sky Tower, the main way up to the pper level. Only Skylords are allowed up there." The Skylord told him, looking up towards the massive structure. Honeydew looked at it.

"This thing is bloody huge!" he yelled, amazed. Lysander nodded, but Honeydew could tell he wasn't paying attention. Something was obviously on his mind. Before the Dwarf could ask what, a voice broke out from high above.

"Avra Kadavra!"

A large explosion then followed.

"…Drat. That didn't work. Ah well, back to the drawing board."

Elsewhere in the city, Skylord_Jasper's boom of a voice hollered:

"DAMN IT FUMBLEMORE!"

"What the heck was that all about?" Honeydew asked. Lysander just sighed.

"Fumblemore and his antics again." He replied. He then wore another thoughtful expression as he looked back up to the Sky Tower. Honeydew raised a brow at him.

"What'cha thinkin' about?" The Dwarf asked. The Skylord looked back at him, his expression grim.

"I don't think I have to tell you how bad Peculier is getting." He began. He was right; the old man's health had deteriorated greatly since the crash. It was clear that he was on the brink of death. Honeydew frowned as Lysander continued.

"He was once a knight, and a good one, too. My father served with him. But it seems he has aged well before his time, and I think it had something to do with his time in Terrorvale." The Skylord said gravely. "We will need to get Peculier back on his feet if we're to face…Israphel."

There was a thunderclap in the distance at the mention of the Dark Lord's name, as if Mother Nature feared the demon as well. Honeydew gulped.

"Any suggestions on how we could possibly do that?" he asked. Lysander fiddled with his goggles that rested on his forehead as he thought.

"You've heard the explosion. Fumblemore, though a little strange, has much experience in the practice of magic. Perhaps he could help."

"Well, then let's get on with it then!" Honeydew cried before he attempted to race up the steps of the Sky Tower. However, Lysander caught the Dwarf by the arm.

"Wait," He told him. "Like I said, only Skylords are allowed up there. I'll have to make a quick temporary one for you."

Honeydew rolled his eyes, but the Skylord didn't see as he pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen. Walking over to the nearest flat surface, Lysander started scribbling down something. Honeydew eventually started humming a song called "Jeopardy", an old dwarven tune that was said to help pass the time. After what seemed like an ice age had passed, Lysander clicked his pen and tucked it away before handing Honeydew the sheet of paper. The dwarven man looked it over.

_I, Skylord_Lysander of Mistral City, hereby grant The Dwarf Honeydew this temporary Skylord License and access to the Upper Level. I also take full responsibility if anything is damaged, lost, stolen, etc._

What followed was Lysander's signature. Honeydew looked back over at the Skylord.

"It sure took you a damn long time to write this." He mumbled.

"Let's just get going." Lysander replied, his tone showing he was irritated and possibly tired. Honeydew tucked the license in his pocket before the two started ascending the Sky Tower's stairs. It took a few good minutes to reach the top.

"Damn…wouldn't want to slip and fall up here." Honeydew commented as they reached the top. He looked over the suspended walkway's rail to see the ground far, far below.

"That goes without saying for me." Lysander replied, used to such heights. He continued his way down the walkway, and Honeydew was hesitant before following. Only a few ships remained docked in the floating ports, but the many docking places there were showed this city was a common meeting place for Skylords. Honeydew looked around and noticed floating bits of land every now and then, most likely suspended in the air with ancient magic. He noted that one even had a lighthouse built on top of it.

Lysander led the Dwarf down towards another, smaller one of these floating land bits (Honeydew mentally started calling them that) where only a few trees and a small cobblestone structure rested. Only floating a few yards away from the tiny land bit was a tall, erect tower, a wooden staircase winding around it until it reached the very top. The staircase ducked in and out of the grey stone tower every so often, most likely leading to a new floor.

"Behold, Fumblemore's Tower." Lysander told the Dwarf, who was looking up at it in awe. He then looked around and noticed that there was no visible way for the two to cross the decent sized gap between them and the tower.

"How do we get over?" He asked. Lysander was about to answer, but there was a rumbling sound that caught both of their attention. Rocks had risen from out of sight, some large and some small, a purplish glow faintly around each of them. They flew to the gap and started arranging themselves until a neat stone bridge had formed. The purplish glow faded, and the rocks were locked into place.

"Well, come along then." Lysander said flatly, striding across the bridge with hands behind his back again. Honeydew simply stared in wonderment before snapping out his daze and hurrying across after the Skylord.

Honeydew heard the bridge start to disassemble itself after they made it to the other side. For the first time he noticed a long stream of water flowing down from the top of the tower, flowing off the side of the land bit and eventually into the Opium Hut far below. Both Dwarf and Skylord walked around the tower's base until they found the front door. Upon entry, the wooden walls were lined to the brim with bookcases, an enchanted spellbook occasionally moving from shelf to shelf now and then.

Once again Honeydew was in awe. Mistral City had many wonders compared to the dwarven holds he was used to. Lysander brushed past him and began his way up the wooden staircase, its start just around the corner of the door. Honeydew quickly turned to follow him, and the two began another long climb.

Upon reaching the top of Fumblemore's Tower, Lysander opened the door that led into the final room. More bookcases and tables covered with magical junk sat around the small chamber, and a bed with long white covers lay in the middle, neatly made. However, the old wizard was nowhere to be seen.

"Hello? Fumblemore?" Lysander called, he and Honeydew entering further into the chamber. A voiced made thin and strained by age replied.

"Eh? Is someone there?" It called. "I'm on the toilet! Give me a minute!"

Lysander pulled a face as Honeydew sighed.

"Perfect timing as always…" The Dwarf muttered.

After a long moment of awkward silence and some whistling from Lysander, a flush was heard and an old man entered the room from a door the two hadn't noticed. He was bent over with age, but only slightly, and his long white beard hid part of his star-adorned blue robe. The old man pulled out an ordinary looking stick from his side pocket, most likely his wand.

"I am the great wizard Fumblemore." He greeted, turning towards the two. He acted in a way which made it seem he'd completely forgotten about the awkwardness from before. "Now, what can I help you two with?"

"Fumblemore, Old_Peculier is sick with taint." Lysander explained. "Is there any way you could help?" He and Honeydew waited for an answer, but they received none. Fumblemore simply stared at them as if he hadn't heard.

"Um, Fumblemore?" Lysander tried again.

"Eh? What?" The old wizard stuck his pinky inside his ear, as if trying to get wax out. "What was that about paint?"

"No, you old fool! I said taint!" Lysander said, his irritation rising. Still, Fumblemore looked confused.

"I'm rather partial to Guinness myself." He replied.

"Gods! This man is senile!" Honeydew yelled after slapping his forehead with his gloved palm.

"Now, is there anything you need? You'll have to speak up." Fumblemore told them. Lysander walked up to the old man and screamed into his ear.

"OLD, PECULIER, IS, _SICK!" _He yelled, saying it slowly so the old man could hear each word clearly. There was so much force in his voice it made Fumblemore's beard sway slightly.

"Well, why didn't you say so?" The old wizard replied calmly, looking over towards Lysander. The Skylord and Dwarf smiled, but they soon faded when Fumblemore continued. "How sick is she?"

"GODS! Ugh, close enough!" Honeydew cried, frustrated. "Anyway, OUR FRIEND IS SICK WITH TAINT!"

"Taint? I know a potion that can cure all ills and taints." Fumblemore replied. "Would you like me to whip it up for you?"

Lysander and Honeydew put on fake smiles and nodded.

"_Yes_, you crazy bastard." Honeydew added so Fumblemore couldn't hear. Fumblemore then crossed the room and checked a spellbook, which magically opened for him as he approached.

"I see…" He said to himself, stroking his white beard as he read the contents. It snapped closed as he turned back to the two waiting for him.

"It appears you'll have to go and fetch the ingredients." He told them. Honeydew threw his head back and groaned, but he stopped when Lysander gave him a harsh elbow to the side.

"Let's see… First I'll need a bucket of water from the Pool of Life." He began. Lysander pulled out his pen and paper to write this down, but after watching him take so long to write something down before, Honeydew snatched the pen and paper away from the Skylord and did it himself, earning a stern look from his comrade.

"I'll also need some dirt. Five handfuls should do." The wizard continued. Honeydew looked confused but wrote it down anyway. "Oh, and another five handfuls of sulfur."

The Dwarf and Skylord shared a look. Unless you got lucky and got some from a salesman, sulfur could only be found from slaying creepers, and it was unlikely that any salesmen were still around in the city.

"Next, three feathers."

Honeydew stopped writing and looked up at the wizard. He quickly pulled out an old arrow he'd gathered from killing a skeleton on the way to Mistral and plucked three feathers from its end, handing it to the wizard.

"This'll work." He replied and tucked the feathers somewhere underneath his robe. "Now let's see… that last thing you needed was…" The old man trailed off as he tapped his chin. Lysander and Honeydew waited impatiently.

"Ah! Two Golden Apples. That should do it." The wizard finished with a nod. Lysander's eyes widened.

"_TWO _Golden Apples?!" He cried. "How in Minecraftia are we going to find _two _of the things?"

Golden Apples were Minecraftia's fruit of legend, said to be gifts from Notch himself. They were delicious and blessed whoever ate one with a temporary holy power, but they were extremely rare to come by.

"Well, you're going to have to find some if you want the potion." Fumblemore replied, crossing his arms. Honeydew finished writing down the list and tucked it his pocket.

"THANKS!" He yelled, adding another "ya' crazy white-bearded bastard…" under his breath. Fumblemore turned back to his spellbook.

"Come find me when you have everything." He told them, the book opening again. Lysander and Honeydew began towards the door. The Dwarf stopped, debating on asking something, but he saw Lysander already exiting the room and heading back down the precarious stairs of the floating tower. Not wanting to be left behind, he followed. Lysander stopped about halfway down, Honeydew almost bumping into him. Honeydew followed Lysander's gaze out towards the horizon, where the sun was starting to fall below the mountaintops in the distance.

"Let's return to the Elysium and turn in for the night." He said. "It's been a long day, and we should check on Peculier. I hope his health hasn't gotten worse while we've been out."

"Yeah, let's sure hope so." Honeydew agreed. The two then continued down the wooden steps, the stone bridge already starting to reform below. From above, a small explosion happened, and Fumblemore could be heard yelling out in surprise, followed by an "Oh, blast it all!". Honeydew stared out towards the sunset again, the sun now barely a glow among the peaks of the mountains. He wondered how Xephos was doing.


	7. Chapter 7: Tales of Two Heroes

**Separated**

**Chapter 7: Tales of Two Heroes**

* * *

Honeydew and Lysander entered the Elysium, the sky now darkened above them. The house was dim, the only light from the street lamps through the window. Honeydew walked over to the fireplace and bent down, pulling out his Flint and Steel as Lysander headed past him towards the stairs. With a few flicks, sparks erupted from the Flint and Steel in Honeydew's hands, and the room became illuminated with an orange glow as the logs caught fire. The Dwarf slid his pack off his back and unlooped his bag of small valuables from his belt after tucking the Flint and Steel back inside. He tossed them at the end of the sofa before sitting down, silent. Lysander came back down the stairs a few minutes later, frowning.

"How is he?" Honeydew asked as Lysander came over to sit on the other couch. He slipped his Aviator's hat and goggles off the top of his head, revealing more of his short black hair, flattened from being under the helm for so long. He placed it next to Honeydew's bag before laying back on the couch.

"Peculier's sleeping. Notch knows he needs his rest." He replied. "Still, he doesn't look like he's gotten much better. He's probably worried to death about what's happened recently."

Honeydew nodded grimly before following Lysander's lead and laying down on his own sofa. There was silence among the two, each lost in their own thoughts as small cracks occasionally popped from the fire, the wood splitting in the intense heat. Honeydew absently glanced over to the stairs, thinking briefly about Peculier before his gaze averted back towards the ceiling. He heard Lysander clear his throat and move around on the other couch, settling himself with a sigh. There was some tension in the air, but Honeydew was unclear why. Suddenly, Lysander's voice broke the silence.

"Honeydew, can I ask you a question?" He asked. Honeydew used his elbows to prop himself up to look at the Skylord, who had sat up to face him. He looked different without his Aviator's hat on. Slightly older, but that might've also been the shadow cast onto his face from the fire.

"You mean besides the one you just asked?" Replied the Dwarf with a smug grin.

"You get what I mean."

"Sure. Fire away."

"I was just wondering how you and Xephos came to know each other." The Skylord asked. "If it's not too personal, I mean. You two have obviously known each other for a long time."

Honeydew stared back at Lysander for a moment, expression one of mild surprise before he smiled and lay back again.

"Sure, I don't mind." He replied. Lysander sat back to listen. The Dwarf lay silently for a minute as he gathered his thoughts, and he soon began his tale.

"It was four years ago, I think. Or was it five? Bugger, I forget. Anyway, I was out mining one night near my old home city of Khaz Modan, far north of here. All of o' sudden, I hear this whistling noise outside the cave. At first I thought one of me dwarven buddies followed me out, but the whistling continued and got louder. So, I grabbed my trusty pick and ran outside to see what it was.

At first I didn't see anything, but then I looked up in the sky and noticed an unusually bright star in the sky. Well, I thought it was a star, but I quickly realized it wasn't when it started getting closer. You should've seen how fast I ran as the thing came flyin' towards me!" Honeydew stopped to laugh a bit at the memory. Lysander sat silently as he waited for the Dwarf to continue.

"Anyway, I jumped into a ditch as the thing from the sky flew overhead, the whistling now a roaring sound. I heard it crash nearby and decided to investigate. Now, keep in mind I was terrified at this point. I climbed out of the ditch and headed down a hill towards this thing. It looked to be a small flying machine as I got closer to inspect it, but the technology of it was far beyond anything I've seen, and I'm a dwarf! We're pioneers in that type of stuff. So I came around the side and saw the hatch had been completely torn off in the crash, and a human-looking fella' was hangin' halfway out the door, hit on the head and knocked clean out. I suppose you can guess who."

"What happened after that?" Lysander asked with a small smile, honestly curious. Honeydew stroked his orange mess of a beard as he recalled.

"Well, I felt bad for him. He would've probably been eaten by a pack of hungry wolves if I hadn't been nearby. So, I dragged him out of the pod and back towards the cave I'd been mining in and waited for him to wake up. When he did, though, I couldn't get a single word out of him for three days! At first I thought he hit his head hard enough to knock the wits out of him, but eventually he started warming up to me.

And so, Xephos and I've been traveling around ever since. We eventually headed down here and set up the Yogcave as a permanent residence. Then all this crazy shit started happening." As Honeydew finished his tale, his brow furrowed as he recalled something else.

"Xephos looked so sad those first few days. I never managed to get an answer out of him why, even now. Whenever I ask, he just ignores me and goes off to be by himself."

"Perhaps some things are best kept in the shadows." Lysander replied with a shrug. He yawned and stretched, and Honeydew heard a few of his joints crack. "Well, best be getting to sleep now. We have a long day in front of us tomorrow."

"Yeah. Night, Lysander." Honeydew said as he rolled over, facing the back of the couch. Lysander stood and prodded the remaining embers of the fire out with a nearby poker before moving back to his sofa, laying down again.

"Goodnight, Honeydew." He said with another yawn. The Dwarf eventually heard a soft rhythmic breathing coming from the Skylord, indicating he was asleep. Honeydew rolled so he lay on his back again. His mind was still filled of memories of the night Xephos' pod crashed, and how their tight friendship eventually formed. Slowly, he felt his eyelids began to slide close, and soon Honeydew fell asleep as well, hoping that tomorrow morning was a productive one.

* * *

Xephos was dragged down the hall by another pair of gigantic zombies, just as silent and chilling as the first. He'd just finished another meal in the dining room, although he hadn't been very hungry. At least his drink had been decent. Unlike the last time, Israphel hadn't been there to eat with him, and the Spaceman was very thankful he didn't have to go through _that _again. The zombies led Xephos down the hall where his cell was, and like before, one of the huge-armed zombies forced the heavy iron door open. The other pushed him inside, and Xephos had taken a step to flop down on his bed when he heard a voice.

"Xephos? What are you doing in here?" Daisy asked. Xephos looked up from staring at the ground to see Daisy Duke sitting on her bed, staring at him and looking confused. The door slammed behind Xephos as the two zombies turned to leave.

"Um, excuse me! This isn't my cell." Xephos yelled after them as they left, but the hulking masses of the two soon disappeared around another corner, ignoring him completely. Xephos sighed and looked back at Daisy.

"Well, um, hey there Da-" He stopped when Daisy suddenly stood and hugged him. The Spaceman was taken by surprise.

"It's good to finally see you." She replied quietly. Xephos hugged her back for a moment before the two parted the embrace, Daisy staring at the ground awkwardly.

"It's good to finally see you, too." Xephos replied, placing his hands in his pockets as he looked around Daisy's cell. It was identical to his, albeit a little smaller. It was clear Israphel was giving him special treatment, but for what he didn't quite understand.

"How are Peculier and Honeydew?" Daisy asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed again. Xephos looked at her. She was still wearing her green dress he'd last seen her in, the front blocked by a soot-stained Blacksmith's apron. Dirt dusted her cheeks as a wilted lily sat behind her ear. The Spaceman recalled when he'd seen it freshly picked.

"They're both fine. Skylord_Lysander is watching over them both." Xephos told her, leaning against a wall by the door, arms folding over his chest.

"A Skylord? Then they're in good hands." Daisy replied, sighing in relief. Her smile soon faded into a frown.

"I'm sorry I've had to drag you all through this…" she replied, her voice as downcast as her expression. Xephos looked at her and frowned back.

"It's not your fault, Daisy. If anyone's to blame, it's Israphel. He's the one who grabbed you, not to mention he's trying to take over the world and all." He told her. Daisy still looked sad, but he could tell she'd taken some comfort in his words.

"Thank you, Xephos." She replied, her smile returning.

"Don't worry, Daisy. I'll get us both out of here." The Spaceman replied. Silence then filled the compact room around them, neither saying a word. There wasn't much to talk about, anyway. They were both trapped in the hellish dimension far below the surface known as the Nether, held prisoner by some evil, power-hungry demon. What was there to say?

Xephos closed his eyes as dark thoughts formed in his mind, most visions of the hellish world that awaited if he and Honeydew failed to stop Israphel. His mind flooded with a desolate landscape, fire burning everywhere as demonic beings from both the surface and the Nether lay waist to what little life was left in the world. The possibilities horrified him, and Xephos gripped his arm again to keep himself from shaking.

"Xephos, are you alright?" Daisy asked again, looking over at the Spaceman. Xephos opened his eyes and looked over.

"I'm fine, Daisy."

"That's what you said yesterday, and look how that turned out." She replied sternly. Xephos stared at her with tired eyes before he sighed and stood straight, beginning to pace in a circle around the small cell. He adjusted his collar and wiped some sweat off his brow. It was suddenly getting hot and hard to breathe in here for him.

"I can't sleep, Daisy. I keep having these damn nightmares about Israphel and zombies and all this other bloody crap going on." He told her. He stopped pacing to lean against another wall, and he wiped his face with his hand again. "Israphel's doing something to me, and I don't know how and I don't know why…" His hand formed into a fist before he punched the wall as hard as he could, ignoring the pain as his knuckles started to bleed.

"I just want to get the hell out of here!" He yelled angrily. Daisy quickly stood and rushed to his side.

"Calm down, Xephos! We'll never get out of here if we don't calm down and think." She told him. Xephos gripped his injured hand as he slid down the wall, trying to ease the pain as Daisy sat next to him.

"I'm trying, Daisy, I really am…" He replied after a moment, staring at the ground. He was shaking again, but he didn't try to stop himself this time. "But…But I just can't stop thinking about…"

"About what?" Daisy asked after he trailed off. Xephos lifted his uninjured hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, and after a moment, he sighed deeply and lifted his head up.

"About The Accident." He simply replied, his voice becoming strained. Daisy looked at him.

"The first step to working out your problems is talking about them." She responded. "Tell me what's been troubling you."

The Spaceman was hesitant to answer again, but after a moment, he did.

"Alright… " Xephos took a breath before he began. "Before I arrived on Minecraftia, I was a Navigations Officer on a starship. The USS Floridian, if I remember correctly. One night… one night a man working down in the engine room had to leave on personal business, and I was the only one who could cover his shift." The Spaceman paused, gathering his thoughts again as he sighed.

"It was stupid to put a Navigations expert down with machinery, but still, it had to be done. We were short-manned. Anyway, one of the workers was showing me the ropes when something went wrong. Horribly, horribly _wrong_. There was an imbalance in the engine's power core. Energy wasn't filtering as normal, and it was starting to build up. We had to fix it, _I _had to fix it, but… oh gods, I can still see those poor men burning up in the fire…" Xephos' head fell into his hands again, his fingers digging into his scalp. Daisy was frowning, and was about to say something when the Spaceman looked up again, looking more tired than ever.

"I was the only one who made it to an escape pod before the whole ship exploded." He continued, his voice quieting. "The captain, my friends, everyone burned and blown to bits in the empty void of space… I failed them. I failed them all, and it still haunts me to this day."

"Oh Xephos, I'm so sorry." Daisy replied after he finished. "But it wasn't your fault. It was just chance that you were down there when it happened. It could've happened to anyone!"

"But engineering expert or not, it was _my _responsibility to keep the ship safe!" He replied, hostility suddenly in his voice as he looked over towards Daisy, eyes cold. "Don't you get it? I was a sworn member of the crew, sworn to protect this ship with my life, and looked what bloody happened!" The blacksmith shifted away from him slightly, not expecting such a response.

"I'm sorry, Xephos, I didn't mean to-"

"Oh, 'course you didn't!" The Spaceman interrupted mockingly, wheeling on Daisy with a hardened glare. Daisy was shocked to see his kind blue eyes had been twisted into deep red ones, a dark force laying behind them.

"What in the world has gotten into you?!" Daisy cried. Xephos, in his crazed state of mind, stood and picked Daisy up by her collar, slamming her against the wall. It knocked the wind out of her.

"Listen 'ere bitch, if I hear one more word come out of that damn mouth of yours, I'll kill you with my bare hands!" he yelled, his grip on her tightening as he stared at her angrily. "You hear me? I'll bloody _kill you_!"

Suddenly, Xephos' eyes widened in realization on what he was doing, and Daisy could see his eyes flash to blue again after blinking once. The Spaceman dropped Daisy and scrambled back, tripping over his own feet before backing up against the opposite wall, a horrified expression on his face. Daisy stared at him in confusion, rubbing her now sore neck. Xephos' hands flew to his face again as he brought his knees up to his chest, his shoulders jerking with silent sobs. Daisy crawled over to him.

"Xephos, it's alright, I-"

"Stay away!" The Spaceman yelled, quickly slapping Daisy's hand away as she tried to reach out to him. "Stay the hell away from me!"

Daisy felt useless as she watched her friend sit there, sobbing uncontrollably at what he'd just done. There was nothing she could do, and even if she could, Xephos wouldn't let her. Daisy only sat there silently and watched Xephos cry his heart out. This was a troubling development indeed.

* * *

_*Author's Note:_ _Yeeaah, kind of had to change a few things here and there, but overall, I really like how this chapter turned out. I also want to say that my knowledge of Star Trek is serverely lacking and have absolutely NO idea how the "Shirt System" on that show works, so forgive me if Redshirts aren't supposed to be Navigators, Yellows are, blah blah blah. I'd just thought Xephos seemed to work in the role._

_Anyway, yay weekend! I should be able to post a few chapters sometime these next few days. Stay tuned for more!_

_~DR_


	8. Chapter 8: Potion For Peculier pt 1

**Separated**

**Chapter 8: Potion For Peculier (part 1)**

* * *

Honeydew was awoken when his heavy bag hit his chest with a thud. Jolting upright, the Dwarf looked over to see Lysander strapping his Aviator's cap back onto his head.

"Up and at 'em, Honeydew." He said, turning towards him. "We have a very busy day today."

"Yeah, but does it have to be _this _early?" The Dwarf complained with a yawn. The sun had just started to rise, its red light just beginning to shine through the Elysium's windows. He rolled to lay on his stomach and closed his eyes, his bag falling to the cobblestone floor.

"Just give me five more minutes…"

"Peculier's one foot in the grave already, man! Get up!" Lysander scolded him, an annoyed expression on the Skylord's face. After a second, Honeydew got up with a groan and readjusted his iron helm on his head.

"Alright, but_ only _for Old_Peculier." He replied. Lysander smiled slightly before the two finished getting ready and headed out the door. Honeydew dug into his pocket and pulled out the crumpled list of ingredients for Fumblemore's potion. He skimmed it quickly, Lysander waiting behind him.

"Alright, first thing's first: Five handfuls of dirt." He read. Both Dwarf and Skylord looked down at their feet. The land beside the path had plenty.

"That was easy…" Lysander declared. Honeydew bent down and quickly scooped five handfuls of dirt into a jar before spinning the lid shut. He then handed the jar to Lysander, who tucked it into a special bag over his shoulder.

"Next, a bucket of water from the Pool of Life." Honeydew said, checking the list again. He looked at the Skylord. "Is that the name of one of those fountains by the gate?" He asked. Lysander nodded.

"Well, it was. Fumblemore must've forgotten it changed." He explained. "We decided to rename it after there were some drownings…"

This caused Honeydew to break out into a laugh at the irony, but he caught himself as Lysander gave him a hard glare.

'Ehem, right... What's it called now?" He asked, scratching the back of his head.

"It's now called the Pool of Memory. Come, I'll show you which one."

The two then continued down Victoria Street, back towards Granny_Bacon's shop and the charred remains of Peculier's house. The flames had finally died, but some of the burnt wreckage still remained laying around as a reminder of what happened. The narrow road opened up once more at the main square of the city, and the three fountains sat tall and proud like the rest of the city. Lysander led Honeydew to the pool closest to the Church of the Holy Apple and pulled out a bucket from the same bag the jar of dirt was in.

"Care to do the honors?" he asked. Honeydew nodded and took the bucket before scooping up some water from the fountain. He handed it back to Lysander, careful not to spill it. The Skylord strapped a modified lid over it before tucking it into the bag again.

"Ha, this is easy!" Honeydew cried with a proud smile. Perhaps this little fetch quest would be faster than they thought.

"Watch yourself now, we still have to get the sulfur." Lysander reminded him, making the Dwarf frown. "Not to mention two Golden Apples."

Honeydew looked over at the church as he tried to think of a safe way to gather sulfur when a thought struck him. He grinned and looked at Lysander in front of him.

"Hey, just making sure, but this 'Holy Apple' is a golden one, right?" He asked.

"Yes…?" Lysander replied uncertainly, not liking where this was going.

"What if we just take it from this Father_Braeburn guy? It's easy! Now, you walk in and grab him from behind, then I'll-"

"Are you mad?! I'm not stealing from a church!" Lysander responded. Honeydew threw his hands up in the universal 'Hey man, be cool' gesture as Lysander turned towards the church.

"But using the Holy Apple in Peculier's potion isn't a bad idea." Lysander continued, stroking his chin again. "We'll just have to ask for it nicely."

"Fine, we'll do it the _boring _way."

Lysander ignored Honeydew as he entered the church, the Dwarf soon following behind. The church was small, but the inside had painted walls depicting Notch sitting on an Aether Cloud, a special blue cloud that was rumored to make up most of the skyline in the mythical Aether, the realm where Notch and deceased souls of Minecraftians resided. In the painting, Notch was watching over Steve, the first Minecraftian to roam the once-empty land long ago. Honeydew looked at the paintings on the walls before he brought his attention forward. Father_Braeburn was standing at his lectern at the back of the church, humming to himself again as he read through a Bible. He looked up from his reading when he heard Lysander and Honeydew approach. He smiled warmly and closed the book.

"Ah, hello friends. What can I do for you?" He asked. Lysander opened his mouth to say something when Honeydew pushed past him.

"Can we have the Holy Apple?" He asked bluntly. Father_Braeburn looked shocked as Lysander elbowed Honeydew in the side again.

"What he means to say is that we need it in a potion to save someone's life." He explained calmly. "Please, Father. Minecraftia's fate could very well depend on this!"

Father_Braeburn looked uncertain as he ran his hand through his already slicked-back hair. Turning to a pedestal behind him, he removed the cover and carefully picked up the Holy Apple off of the stand. Honeydew had already held out his hands to accept it, but Father_Braeburn looked at it for a few more seconds before tucking it somewhere in his white jacket, the depiction of the Holy Apple sewn on the back.

"Tell you what, I'll strike you a deal." He began. Honeydew let his arms drop in disappointment. "You see, the whole Holy Apple thing hasn't been taken as serious as it has in the past. I think this church needs a new symbol of Notch's power. I've already had this idea in my head for a while, but never got around to it. My passion has always been music, and I want the church to reflect that!" He looked down at Lysander and Honeydew in front of him, smiling. "If you two can find and bring me a Golden Record, I'd be happy to trade the Apple with you."

Like Golden Apples, Golden Records were gifts from Notch, as well as a set of more, less valuable records. Each held an original, beautiful tune, and could only be found as rewards from doing heroic deeds, such as exploring the depths of Minecraftia and finding a dungeon. That brought the total of holy, almost-impossible-to-find artifacts they needed to aquire up to three.

"Great, _another _fetch quest! If we just went with my idea we wouldn't-" Honeydew was once again shut up with a jab from Lysander's elbow.

"We'll be happy to find one for you. Any idea on where we could start looking?" Lysander asked politely. Father_Braeburn thought a moment.

"Well, last time I checked, Skylord_Jasper had one in his possession. Perhaps you can convince him to give it to you." He replied, although he knew such a task would be hard. Skylord_Jasper was _very _fond of everything in his possession, and getting him to give something up was almost crazy-talk. Still, Lysander smiled and turned to leave, dragging Honeydew behind him.

"Thanks again, Father!" He called.

"If you still need another Golden Apple, try Granny's shop! I hear she has a special on them this week." Father_Braeburn called after them. Honeydew smiled and looked at Lysander.

"Think I can sweet-talk one out of her? She took quite a liking to me before." He reminded the Skylord.

"Believe me; I don't need to be reminded." Lysander replied, shivering slightly. "I guess it's worth a shot, though."

Honeydew smiled and took off down Victoria Street again, Lysander quickly following. The sun had risen higher in the sky, an hour or two having passed already. Honeydew was about to turn down the road that led towards Granny's shop, but he stopped when he noticed something. He and Lysander had walked by a certain house many times, but this time he noticed something...off-putting about it. He stopped and peered into the foggy window and barely managed to make out a figure hunched over a fire in the fireplace, a long shadow cast towards the Dwarf. Honeydew squinted, trying to make out the figure more when suddenly a creeper was in front of his face, hissing. The Dwarf screamed and jumped back, reaching for his pickaxe on his belt.

"CREEPER! CREEPER IN THE HOUSE!" He yelled, terrified. Lysander caught up to him and looked at the window. The creeper looked back at Lysander with what seemed to be an annoyed expression before turning and heading back towards the fireplace. Lysander then looked at Honeydew, who was now holding his diamond pick out in front of him protectively. The Skylord chuckled.

"Why, that's just Mr. Astley, Honeydew! He's a reformed creeper. He won't hurt a fly as long as you keep from stroking his temper." He told him. Honeydew looked at Lysander with an expression that showed he was processing what the Skylord told him. After a brief moment, Honeydew hastily strapped his pickaxe to his belt again.

"Right! I knew that, why _wouldn't _I know that?" He lied, trying to play it off to save his pride again. Lysander just chuckled again and brushed past Honeydew.

"Let's just get to Granny's." He called back.

"Right!" The Dwarf replied, and the two soon came to the door of Granny_Bacon's Greasy Spoon Shop. Lysander opened the door and he and Honeydew entered.

"Watch yourself this time." Lysander sighed, tucking his hands in his pant pockets. The Greasy Spoon Shop was decently sized, looking as if it was converted from an old warehouse. A few small tables lined the walls, tabletops neatly wiped down and kept clean. A pool table sat next to the door, a rack of pool sticks against the wall next to it. A few miscellaneous paintings hung on the wooden wall, and at the very back of the place was the counter, kept just as clean and polished as the tables. An old woman was washing dishes behind it, presumably Granny_Bacon, and was humming to herself lightly. She heard the bell over the door jingle when Lysander and Honeydew walked in, and she turned to greet them.

"Ah, welcome back dears! What can I get for ya' this time?" She asked, her speech slightly slurred from age. Honeydew smirked, breathed into his palm to check his breath, and waltzed over, leaning onto the counter.

"Hello Granny_Bacon. My you look lovely today." He greeted, causing Granny to giggle. Lysander rolled his eyes and leaned on the wall as he watched. Honeydew "absently" started flexing his muscular arm as he continued.

"So, I heard you're selling Golden Apples this week. How much do they cost, my little minx?" He asked.

"Well, normally they're eight diamonds, but I can drop the price to seven for you, Honey." Granny replied, smiling with a small blush lining her cheeks.

"Aw, aren't you sure you couldn't drop it a little more, dear?" Honeydew tried, bringing out his puppy dog eyes. They normally worked on Xephos from time to time.

"Sorry dear, seven is as low as I can go." Granny replied, frowning slightly. "Wish I could give ya' one, but I have to make money somewhere in this deserted town." Honeydew sighed.

"I guess I understand. I'll try to get seven diamonds for you." He replied, standing straight. He took Granny_Bacon's hand in his and kissed it lightly, causing the old woman to blush again.

"See you then, Honey." She said, giggling a bit. Honeydew turned back to Lysander, and the two then exited the shop.

"That must be one lonely old woman." Lysander mumbled, mostly to himself. He and Honeydew walked back towards the main square again, passing the Astley residence. Honeydew looked at the house suspiciously before he got an idea.

"Hey, Lysander, I think I left my Flint and Steel back at your house." Honeydew began, causing the Skylord to turn back to face him. Lysander raised a brow.

"And…?"

"Could you go get it for me?" The Dwarf asked. Lysander looked like he was about to tell Honeydew to get his own thngs before he sighed.

"Be right back." He mumbled, walking past Honeydew and back around the corner. As soon as he was out of sight, Honeydew whipped his pickaxe out and slowly opened the door to the Mr. Astley's house. They needed sulfur for the potion, and Astley was a good source of it. Besides, the Dwarf didn't believe a creeper could be reformed, so he didn't see it as murder.

"Now where are you, you little green bugger…" He said quietly, looking around suspiciously. Unfortunately, he didn't notice Mr. Astley had been waiting for him by the door, and the creeper slowly crept up behind him. He was mad, and Honeydew barely had time to turn around when he exploded, ending his own life. Honeydew cried out and surprise and was forced back from the blast, but he was barely hurt and there was very minor damage, only a small hole in the wall. Honeydew sighed. Once a creeper blew its fuse, their sulfur supply was fully used up. Honeydew strapped his pick to his belt again when he heard a voice down the road.

"What was that?" He heard Lysander ask himself, coming back down Victoria Street. Honeydew panicked and looked at the wall.

"Shit shit shit shit shit shit!" He cried, hastily trying to fix the wall with what remained of it. He managed to make it look decent with his dwarven handiwork, but he still needed a few things to make it stay. He quickly turned and ran into an alley, having noticed a trashcan down it earlier. He threw off the lid and dug through the trash, trying to find anything that would be a decent adhesive for the wooden wall. Not finding anything, Honeydew was about to give up when he noticed something. At the bottom of the cluttered trashcan was a grey power. He reached down and ran his fingers through it. Could it be...? Yes! Much to his surprise, a whole bunch of sulfur sat at the bottom of the metal bin. Not questioning why or how, he quickly scooped up five handfuls and stuck it in another jar from his bag, sealing the lid. He smiled before he heard Lysander's footsteps getting closer. Without thinking, Honeydew picked up the trashcan and ran back to the front of the house, placing it down in front of the damaged wall right when Lysander turned back around the corner.

"Sorry Honeydew, I couldn't find it." He said as he approached. Honeydew tried to look calm.

"Oh, silly me, I found it after double checking. Sorry about that!" He laughed, albeit nervously as Lysander raised a brow at him. He looked at the trash can.

"How long has that been there…?" He asked. Honeydew started to panic again as he pulled the jar of sulfur. "Hey, Lysander! Look what I found!"

"Wha- Sulfur? Where on Minecraftia did you find that?" He asked, surprised.

"The trash." The dwarven man replied honestly. Lysander sighed, taking the jar and tucking it in his own bag.

"The things people throw away…" He mumbled before turning his attention back to the trashcan. "But seriously, I don't remember this ever being her-"

"Well looks like we need that record now! Let's go hurry and get it!" Honeydew yelled, interrupting Lysander as he moved behind the Skylord and pushed him down the alley. Lysander just looked confused but went along anyway.

"Um, right… Jasper's house is this way." He told Honeydew, leading him down another street after they reached the main square again. Honeydew mentally sighed in relief. His backside was safe for now. The Dwarf then followed Lysander until they reached another house. It looked somewhat like the Elysium, but it was at least twice the size. From the outside, there appeared to be three or four stories, and a large balcony hung out over a nearby pond. The only ground level entrance was the front door, which Lysander tried to open. It was locked, and Jasper's voice could be heard on one of the upper floors, sounding as though he was singing. Lysander frowned before he sighed.

"Great, he's taking a bath." Lysander mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. Honeydew looked at him.

"What's so terrible about that?"

"Skylord_Jasper takes very, _very _long bathes."

"Oh…"

Honeydew sighed as Lysander scratched the back of his head, making his Aviator's cap push forward down his forehead slightly. He looked up to study Jasper's gigantic house.

"How are we going to get in? He'll hear us if we break to door down." Honeydew thought out loud. Lysander remained silent as his gazed shifted to far above the building in front of him, up towards the platforms of the Upper Level. He stared at them for a moment before a grin grew on his face.

"I might just have an idea. C'mon!" He told Honeydew, breaking off into a run back down the street. Honeydew looked confused before following, and the two began to work their way through a labyrinth of buildings back towards the Sky Tower, heading to the Upper Level.


	9. Chapter 9: Potion for Peculier pt 2

**Separated**

**Chapter 9: Potion For Peculier (Part 2)**

* * *

Lysander raced up the steps as Honeydew followed behind, panting. When they reached the top Honeydew stopped and leaned forward, hands on his knees.

"Can't you slow down?" He managed to get out. Lysander skidded to a stop and turned back to face the Dwarf, not seeming to be tired at all.

"Your fault you can't keep up." He replied with a small smirk. He turned and took off down the platform again. Honeydew groaned and ran after him, not wanting to be left behind. A little ways down the floating walkways, Lysander reached another land bit and stopped, Honeydew nearly bumping into him and sending him off the edge. The Skylord peered off the side, back down towards the ground, and after making a quick assessment in his head he started digging around in his bag. Honeydew raised a brow at him before looking over the edge. Far below, Skylord_Jasper's towering house sat directly below the two.

"Do you expect us to jump?" Honeydew asked, looking at the Skylord as though he was mad. Lysander was still digging through his bag as he replied.

"Not quite, Honeydew. I have a safer way to get down right here!" Right after he spoke the words, Lysander pulled out the bucket of water from the Pool of Memory he and Honeydew had gathered earlier. Again, the Dwarf looked at Lysander, his expression clearly showing he thought the Skylord needed to be checked into a mental ward.

"How is _that _going to help us any?!" Honeydew yelled. Lysander just smiled.

"You see, Honeydew, water from the Pool of Memory has special properties." He explained. "That's why Fumblemore asked for it specifically for the potion. It doesn't flow like regular water. Watch." He stopped to place the bucket down on the floating chunk of land before lightly tipping it over with his foot. A stream of water poured out over the side, but to Honeydew's amazement, the stream didn't start to lessen as water ran out. It stayed constant as it flowed back down to the surface, and soon a slow, silent waterfall hit the top of Jasper's home, quickly spreading out across the wooden roof. Lysander tilted the bucket back up and showed it to Honeydew. It remained full, and the flow of water didn't stop even though its source was removed. It kept cascading over the side, a small pool sitting close to the edge to keep it going. Honeydew stared down after the water for a moment before looking at Lysander.

"That must be a bitch to clean up." Was all he had to say. Lysander laughed as he tightened the cap over the bucket again. The Skylord slipped it back into his bag before looking at Honeydew.

"Follow me." He instructed, looking over the side before taking a breath and jumping off. Lysander slipped into the water, and his decent slowed significantly. Honeydew watched as the Skylord swiftly floated down towards Skylord_Jasper's house, sticking his head out the side every so often to take a breath.

"Seems safe enough…" Honeydew told himself, though he sounded uncertain. Sighing, the Dwarf took a deep breath before stepping off the side. Like Lysander, he slipped silently into the stream of water, and he slowly started to float down, much like how he would in regular water. Honeydew placed a hand on top of his head to keep his helm from slipping off as he and Lysander descended. Eventually, Honeydew saw Lysander reach the bottom of the waterfall as he stuck his head out to take a breath. Unfortunately, he had shifted his weight forward too much, and the Dwarf slipped out of the stream prematurely. Honeydew yelped in surprise as he hit the roof. He managed to stay on his feet, although it wasn't very graceful, and a loud thump sounded as he hit the wooden boards.

"What was that?" Skylord_Jasper's voice could be heard below, and both Honeydew and Lysander heard the splash of water as a plug slipped from its spot, the sound of draining water following. Lysander sighed.

"Great."

Honeydew had started to squeeze water out of his beard as he looked at Lysander.

"Ehehe…Oops?" He tried, putting on an innocent smile. Lysander quickly hurried over to a hatch sitting nearby and kicked it open.

"Listen, I'll distract Jasper. You start looking around for the record. This could be our last chance!"

Honeydew nodded and followed Lysander silently down the hatch. The Skylord continued down the stairs to the lower levels as Honeydew started raiding the nearest chests and cupboards he saw. All he managed to find were some somewhat-flamboyant clothes, an old (empty) satchel, and some materials used for smoking Opium. Not managing to find the record on this floor, Honeydew turned and saw a door leading outside to the balcony. Curious, he stepped outside and saw a ramp up to a small aircraft, presumably Jasper's. He raced up the ramp and began checking for the record on board the craft. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a window sliding open, and the Dwarf looked over to see Lysander jump out through a second-story window, something in his hands. The Skylord then looked back towards the second floor with a smug smile, waving around a purple towel in the air.

"Hey Jasper, I have your towel!" He called in a mocking voice, laughing as he ran off around the corner. Honeydew saw a still-shirtless Jasper lstick his head out the window Lysander had jumped out of, glaring after the other Skylord.

"DAMN IT LYSANDER, GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!" He yelled angrily, shaking a fist before ducking back into the house. Honeydew smiled a bit at the whole scene before returning his focus to the task at hand. Not finding the record anywhere on the ship, the Dwarf ran back down the ramp and darted inside, heading for the lower floors. He heard the front door slam and someone sprint down the cobblestone street, managing to catch Jasper's angry swears every now and then. Honeydew looked around the room in front of him. It seemed to be Jasper's bedroom, a few drawers and chests lining the walls as Jasper's king-sized bed lay against the opposite wall, draped with sky blue sheets. Honeydew frantically started to dig through anywhere the record could've been, but he still found nothing after a few minutes of thorough search. The search wasn't a total loss this time, though; Jasper had left a bag of diamonds in one of his chests, which Honeydew quickly relieved him of.

The Dwarf sighed in frustration as he sat down on Jasper's bed, trying to think of where the record could be. As he plopped down, though, he heard the _clink_ of something metallic bumping into the wall. He glanced at Jasper's pillow, where he had heard the noise. Quickly, he tossed the pillow to the side to reveal a metal case hidden where the pillow had sat. Honeydew flicked the clutches up and opened the case. He smiled. A Golden Record sat neatly on top of red velvet, not a scratch on it. He closed the case and snapped it shut before shoving the entire thing into his bag.

"Yes!" He cheered quietly to himself. They were one step closer to Peculier's potion. Honeydew had turned to head downstairs when a thought struck him. He quickly pulled a pen and piece of paper from Jasper's nearby desk and quickly scribbled something down. Once he finished, he placed the note where the Golden Record had sat. The Dwarf smiled as he read it over again.

_Thanks for the record, Fuckface!_

Honeydew laughed when suddenly he heard the front door slam open as Jasper came storming back in, mumbling curses and threats under his breath. The Dwarf's expression quickly changed to one of panic before he ran back up the stars and shot back up the hatch, slamming it shut behind behind him as he looked for a way down. The waterfall was still flowing down onto the roof, but he doubted he could swim back up in time. He turned and looked over the railing, down towards the pond that sat directly next to Jasper's house. He glanced around once more before sighing.

"Here's to not breakin' my neck…" He muttered to himself. Carefully climbing and balancing on top of the rail, Honeydew estimated the distance between himself and the pond before diving off the roof. The Dwarf landed in the pond with a massive splash. He quickly resurfaced and took a breath, swimming to shallow water before standing. He then waded to dry land and pulled himself out of the pond.

"The things I do for people…" he sighed, soaking wet again. He checked his bag, which was waterproof for the most part, and made sure the record case was still inside. Honeydew then ran down the street before Jasper could take notice of him.

"Lysander? Where are you, pal?" Honeydew called once he reached the main square. "I have the record!"

The Dwarf turned when he heard a plate of metal shift, and he saw Lysander climb out of a nearby dumpster, specks of trash and filth lining his once-ordered uniform. The Skylord wore an annoyed expression as he approached Honeydew.

"Don't ask…" He mumbled before Honeydew could say anything, flicking a rotten banana peel off his shoulder. Honeydew just looked at his comrade before he pulled out the metal case and opened it, revealing its contents to Lysander.

"By Notch, you did get it!" Lysander exclaimed, his face brightening with a smile. "Quickly, let's hurry to Father_Braeburn."

Honeydew nodded, and the two rushed across main square, heading for the church. Lysander reached the decorated door and knocked, and Father_Braeburn soon answered.

"Well, did you find it?" He asked, looking at the two through his large black sunglasses. In response, Honeydew handed him the case. Father_Braeburn opened it and smiled.

"Excellent! This is exactly what the church needs!" he then reached into a pocket lining the inside of his jacket and pulled out the Holy Apple, handing it to Lysander. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"It wasn't much trouble at all! Thank you, Father." Lysander replied before Honeydew had a chance to make a retort. The Dwarf looked at him, annoyed. Father_Braeburn gave a curt nod and swung the heavy church door closed, another hum coming from his throat as he headed deeper into the church again. Lysander started walking as he tucked the once-Holy Apple in his bag, Honeydew trailing after him.

"Just one more." The Skylord said, turning to Honeydew. "Any ideas on how we're going to get Granny to give hers up?"

"Well…" Honeydew gave a sly smile as he held up Jasper's bag of diamonds. "I might've borrowed some diamonds from Jasper while I was searching the house. I'm sure he won't mind."

Lysander grinned as the two headed to Granny's old shop. Honeydew opened the door, the bell jingling to signal a new customer had entered. Granny_Bacon turned to face the front right when The Dwarf tossed the bag of diamonds onto the counter.

"Old woman, I demand your finest apple!" He declared, leaning on the counter again. "A golden one, to be precise." Granny quickly opened the bag and counted the contents. When she saw exactly seven diamonds were inside, she tucked the bag under the counter before handing Honeydew another Golden Apple.

"Here you go, dear. Feel free to come back any time." She said as Honeydew turned to leave, Lysander waiting for him at the door. She blew the Dwarf a kiss, and Honeydew pretended to catch it as he and the Skylord exited the shop.

"That's everything!" Lysander said with a smile. He glanced upward at the sky. "And it only appears to be a little after noon, too. We're making great time!"

"C'mon then, let's hurry to Fumblemore!" Honeydew replied, hurrying past the Skylord as he made his way to the Sky Tower. "Hopefully the old bat hasn't forgotten the deal we struck with 'im."

The two then started the long hike back up to the Wizard's tower, this one seeming longer than the first. The stone bridge reassembled as the Dwarf and Skylord approached, both quickly crossing and starting to climb up the rickety wooden stairs. When they reached the top room, Fumblemore was hunched over his spellbook, stroking his beard as he read the contents.

"OLD WIZARD, WE HAVE THE INGREDIENTS!" Honeydew yelled as he barged in, making Fumblemore jump. The old man turned to face them, a mildly annoyed expression on his face due to the interruption.

"You do, do you?" He responded. "Let me see them, then."

In response, Lysander slid his bag off his shoulder and placed it down on Fumblemore's bed, carefully laying out the contents in front of the wizard. Fumblemore looked them over before he gave a curt nod and pulled out his wand. With a wave of the magical stick, the items Lysander and Honeydew gathered started to glow a faint purple as they began to float, dancing through the air towards a cauldron near Fumblemore's speelbook. The two watched as Fumblemore followed the ingredients over, and he added the feathers Honeydew had given him earlier into the mix. With the water from the Pool of Memory and the rest of the ingredients mixed up in the cauldron, Fumblemore raised his arm again. He muttered a few magic words under his breath and waved his wand. A plume of golden smoke erupted upwards from the cauldron, filling the room. Honeydew coughed as Lysander fanned it away from his face, and when the smoke finally cleared, Fumblemore could be seen scooping some of the now-golden contents of the cauldron into a glass bottle. He turned and forced a cork through the top before handing it to Lysander.

"Here you go; one potion guaranteed to cure your sister." He told the Skylord, confidence eminent on his voice. Lysander squinted at the contents.

"This just looks like muddy water with feathers and mushed-up Golden Apples in it!" He complained, disgusted at the odd concoction.

"Well, it was a fifty-fifty chance of that or the whole tower going up in flames." Fumblemore replied, crossing his arms. Lysander sighed.

"THANK YOU, OLD MAN!" Honeydew yelled at the top of his lungs again, starting to walk out. Lysander followed.

"You're welcome, Dwarf!" Fumblemore called after them. "Just whatever you do, don't drop that bottle! It is very, very explosive!"

Honeydew and Lysander soon reached the base of the tower again. As they crossed over the stone bridge a final time, Honeydew smiled and glanced at the Skylord.

"Well, why're we going so bloody slow? Peculier's waiting for us!" He cried, his pace quickening before he broke into a run. "Let's get going, Lysander!"

"Oh, _now _you want to get a move on!" Lysander called as he caught up. The two then hurried back to the Elysium, where Old_Peculier was waiting. If everything worked out, they could finally start their quest to foil Israphel's dark plans, whatever they may be.

* * *

_Author's Note: Blehh, I really have to stop editing chapters so late... Anyway, I FINALLY got this thing done! Not only did I have an unexpected social event this weekend and couldn't get anything done, but Monday and Tuesday were super busy with schoolwork, not to mention preparations for a band event I had. Well, I'm all caught up with work and my band event is over and done with. Hopefully I can get the next chapter up within a day or two now. Until next time!_

_~DR_


	10. Chapter 10: Diggy Diggy Hole

**Separated**

**Chapter 10: Diggy Diggy Hole**

* * *

Honeydew barged through the door of the Elysium, potion in hand as he headed for the stairs. Lysander followed after quickly looking the wooden door over, making sure Honeydew didn't accidentally damage it when he slammed it open. Upstairs, Old_Peculier was staring silently out the window, his back facing the two as they ascended. He gave no sign that he noticed them, staring out across the city through the glass windowpane. Lysander and Honeydew shared a look before Honeydew took a step towards the old man, clearing his throat.

"Peculier?" He tried. Old_Peculier simply continued to stare out the window for a moment before slowly turning to face the Dwarf. His eyes were bloodshot, dark circles having formed under his eyes from exhaustion and lack of sleep. Lysander and Honeydew shared another look. He looked absolutely awful. Peculier simply stared at them, waiting for Honeydew to continue.

"Um, here..." Honeydew stepped closer and showed Peculier the bottle of golden liquid Fumblemore had given them. "Drink this. It should restore your health."

The old man simply stared at the bottle before taking it with a shaking hand. He looked it over closely.

"It looks…horrible." He croaked out, voice straining from lack of use.

"Fumblemore's potion looks gross, I know, but it's the only thing to help you get back onto your feet." Lysander broke in. "We need you if we're ever going to stop Israphel."

"Besides, it doesn't taste all that bad." Honeydew added, though he was most likely lying. "It uh…it tastes of strawberries and single malt whiskey!"

Old_Peculier looked between the potion and the two in front of him before he sighed, yanking the cork out of the top of the bottle with a _pop!_

"For Daisy…" He mumbled, pressing the bottle to his lips. A bright golden light filled the room suddenly, so bright Honeydew and Lysander had to shield their eyes. When the light died away, the two looked up to see Old_Peculier standing tall and proud, no longer hunched over with age. The dark bags had disappeared from under his eyes, and he looked at the now empty bottle as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Much better." He said. His voice was no longer strained by age, though an old Scottish-sounding croak still remained. He looked at Lysander and Honeydew, and his smile grew as he suddenly embraced both in a hug.

"Thank you, friends! I feel as though I'm as young as how I was when I first became a knight!" He laughed, Lysander and Honeydew smiling at their friend's new state of health.

"Well I'll be; Fumblemore isn't just a crazy old wizard-y bastard!" Honeydew declared, a joyous laugh erupting from him. The three parted the embrace as Peculier turned towards the window again, expression turning serious as he thought.

"Everything's rushing back to me." He began, staring out across the city once more. "I need to follow the footsteps of my father if we're to ever stop Israphel. He went missing one day, serving at a guard tower just outsde of town. I tried to investigate where he'd gone, but to no avail." He turned to face the two behind him. "Quickly, we must pick up my father's trail once again. To the guard tower!"

Lysander and Honeydew nodded, arming themselves with their weapons that had been strapped to their belts. Peculier led them down the stairs before all three rushed out of the Elysium, heading back down Victoria Street and around towards the main square. They crossed the drawbridge and started following the wall towards the back of the city, Peculier leading confidently with a bounce in his step.

"Geez, it's like he's a whole other person!" Honeydew said quietly to Lysander as the two followed. Lysander just nodded.

"It feels a bit odd calling him_ Old__Peculier now, now doesn't it?" The Skylord replied, looking forward at the man in front of him. Peculier didn't seem to notice the pair's conversation. Honeydew was about to reply to Lysander's statement when Peculier suddenly stopped. The Dwarf and Skylord looked past him to see large craters scattered around the land before them, small fires still burning around the edges of the gigantic holes. Peculier raised a brow.

"What on Minecraftia is this?" He asked. Honeydew looked around and noticed a sign that had been quickly staked into the ground. He walked over and read it.

"Mine Field?" He asked, reading the warning. "Why the hell did they set up a Mine Field?"

"Looks like it was the citizens' last attempt at defense before they all fled to Icaria." Lysander broke in. "Wandering animals and creatures must've set them off."

"It seems so." Peculier concluded. "We'll have to head around it. This way, everyone!" He then turned and started to walk around the Mine Field, carefully watching his step for any stray land mine that had yet to be set off. Honeydew and Lysander did the same, although the Dwarf tripped and nearly fell back onto a suspicious-looking mound of dirt, only to be saved by Lysander's quick reflexes. Soon, the three made their away past the Mine Field and stood before a ruined tower, its crumbling stone walls laced with thick green moss. Honeydew approached the old door and read a sign above it.

"Ye Olde Watch-e Tower…e." He read, squinting at the faded writing, prononcing each "E" separately. "Now that's some old English."

"This is certainly the tower my father served at." Peculier said, studying the tower as he stroked his 4 o'clock shadow-of-a-beard. He turned towards the others. "Let's have a look around. There has to be something!"

Honeydew and Lysander nodded before the Dwarf forced the door open. It came down quickly, falling off its rusted hinges after a few good shoves. The three started to climb up the winding staircase that led to the top.

"Sure is moldy in here…" Lysander commented, covering his mouth and nose with his shirt. Peculier did the same as Honeydew led the party up the slippery stone stairway.

"C'mon guys, it's not that ba- CREEPER!"

Before anyone could react, a creeper suddenly blew up as they reached the top. Lysander and Peculier were thrown down the stairs a bit while Honeydew was thrown over the side railing. The Skylord helped Peculier to his feet before rushing over to where the Dwarf had fell.

"Honeydew!"

"Um... Down here…"

Lysander looked down to see Honeydew hanging precariously off a ledge, barely hanging on to the mossy stone with one hand. Both he and Peculier sighed in relief before helping the Dwarf back up to safety.

"You alright, friend?" Peculier asked. Honeydew gave a grunt in reply as he fixed his iron helm back onto his head, the helm having become askew in his fall.

"I'm fine, surprisingly." He eventually responded. "I'm a bit shaken up, though."

"At least you're not hurt." Lysander told him, scanning the small lookout post around them. "It doesn't look like anything's up here. Let's head back down."

And so the three quickly headed back down the stairs, the party soon emerging outside again.

"How did a creeper get up there, anyway?" Honeydew asked, glancing towards the spot he'd almost fallen from. Lysander just shrugged, also looking at the part of the tower.

"It was almost like it was waiting for us..."

"I've heard rumors of an old secret being buried near here." Peculier broke in suddenly, eyein the tower again. "Like a secret basement or something. Anyone have any shovels?"

"It just so happened I grabbed a few back at the Yogcave." Honeydew replied, slipping his bag off his shoulder to dig through it. After a few seconds of digging around in the leather sack, the Dwarf pulled out three stone shovels, handing one to Lysander and Peculier each. Peculier approached the crumbling stone base of the tower before stamping his spade into the dirt. Lysander did the same on the opposite side of the tower while Honeydew began his dig elsewhere. Silence followed as the three adventurers worked tirelessly. Hours started to pass like minutes, and by the time the sun had started to dip below the mountains again, they'd found nothing. A giant hole sat around the tower's base, and the three leaned up against the wall, catching their breath.

"I feel as though we need something to boost morale…" Lysander mumbled after a bit, glancing at the two men beside him. "Any ideas?"

Honeydew started to stroke his magnificent orange beard in thought, and after a moment, he smiled. The Dwarf picked up his shovel again and walked over to where he had last been digging. He quickly cleared his throat and broke out into a hearty Dwarven song, beginning to dig again as he did.

"_I'm a Dwarf and I'm digging a hole. Diggy diggy hole, I'm digging a hole…"_

Honeydew continued, basically repeating the same few lines over and over again. Lysander and Old_Peculier looked at each other before smiling, and the two quickly rejoined Honeydew in their dig. The three continued for a few more minutes, the hole around the tower slowly growing wider when suddenly Honeydew's spade struck something. The Dwarf stopped his song and looked down at where he had just hit.

"Huh? Guys! I found something!" He called. Lysander and Peculier stopped their digging and ran over, staring at where Honeydew stared. A flat wooden surface was visible in the dirt, and with a bit more movement of the dirt around it, an old, half-rotten chest sat before them. Peculier bent down and forced the top open with his shovel. All three men leaned over the open box to find…

"A paper?" Honeydew asked, his brow furrowing. "We dug for all those hours for some bloody piece of _paper!?"_

Peculier pulled the old parchment out of the chest and looked it over. It had started to yellow with age, but it was still in a pretty good condition. Old runes and markings were written all across one side of the paper. Peculier squinted at them.

"It's written in the Old Language." He explained. "Give me a moment, I'll try to translate it…"

Lysander and Honeydew waited as Peculier stood silently, eyes fixed onto the parchment as he quickly scanned what was written. After a minute or two, he looked over at his two comrades.

"It's a message from my father." He began, neatly folding the paper and tucking it away into his pocket. "It says he and a few men had left to venture down into the local mine. It doesn't explain why, however, but it must've been important. We must follow them!"

At the mention of a mine, Honeydew quickly reached for his pickaxe and held it confidently. Lysander, on the other hand, looked absolutely worried. He pulled at his collar and glanced at the ground, starting to break into a cold sweat.

"I'm afraid I'll have to sit out on this one…" He said quietly, his tone showing he was embarrassed. Peculier and Honeydew looked at him.

"What? Why?" The Dwarf asked. Lysander gulped as he fiddled with his collar again, shrinking back slightly.

"You see, I'm not very good with going underground." He explained. "I-It's an old phobia of mine... I'd go with you if I could, but I'd just be a burden. A Skylord like me has no place in a mine, anyway."

"We understand, friend." Peculier responded. Honeydew had opened his mouth to make a retort, but stopped when Peculier spoke. "We'll meet you back at the Elysium once we're finished."

"Alright. Thanks, you two." Lysander replied as he started to turn. He gave the two a wave before he headed back towards the city's main gate, hands slipping into his pockets as he disappeared around a corner. Honeydew watched him go before he rolled his eyes.

"Sheesh, what a pussy." He mumbled, earning a stern look from Peculier.

"Lysander's not a pussy! Fear of the Underground is a perfectly reasonable fear." He argued. "Besides, you're a Dwarf, Honeydew. You were practically born down there."

"I guess you're right…" Honeydew replied, although a bit begrudgingly. "Let's just go check this mine out, yeah?"

Peculier sighed before he nodded, and the two quickly followed the path Lysander had taken back towards the main gate. They easily avoided the Mine Field this time, knowing the safest route past it. The two soon reached the main gate and headed inside, cutting across the main square and past the Sports Court. The fenced-off mine entrance sat before them, the creeper Honeydew had seen within the fence earlier having mysteriously disappeared. Peculier and Honeydew quickly hopped over the fence and headed for the mine's trapdoor entrance. It had been sealed shut with wooden planks, but Honeydew quickly pried them off the door with his pickaxe. Peculier kicked open the trapdoor and peered inside. A dark hole reached deep into the ground, an old, rickety ropeladder hanging down. It continued on a ways before the darkness below engulfed it. It was impossible to tell how far down the hole led.

"Honeydew, do you have a torch on you?" Peculier asked. The Dwarf nodded and pulled one out of his bag.

"Yeah."

"Lite it."

Honeydew did so, dragging the torch's head across the cobblestone ground. There was a spark, and a bright flame erupted from the torch's head. Peculier took it and stared into the hole again, carefully beginning to climb down with the torch still in hand. Honeydew quickly did the same, not wanting to get too far behind the torchlight and end up missing a foothold in the dark. The Dwarf took one last look at the darkening sky before pulling the trapdoor closed overhead. Heaven knows what waits in the caverns below, and it was only a matter of time before the two would find out.


	11. Chapter 11: Turning Tides

**Separated**

**Chapter 11: Turning Tides**

* * *

The ropeladder continued to stretch deep into the ground, Honeydew and Old_Peculier slowly made their way down. It was utterly silent except for the strained creak of the rope that supported them and the occasional dripping of water. Many minutes passed as they continued their decent, and eventually Peculier stopped, peering downwards.

"I think I see ground." He called up to Honeydew. The Dwarf looked past Peculier below him and could barely make out a cobblestone platform in the torchlight, the end of the long ropeladder brushing up against the stone as it swayed with their weight. The two quickly climbed down the remainder of the ladder before their feet touched solid ground again. Peculier held his torch forward, trying to get a better view of the room they now stood in. Although it was dim, they could make out that they were in a perfectly square room. A stone staircase carved out by previous miners kept to the wall, slowly going down into the darkness below. Honeydew and Peculier shared a look before continuing down the staircase, the platform above them dimming as the path in front of them became illuminated by the torch.

"So what exactly did they mine down here?" Honeydew asked, looking around as they descended once more.

"Just about everything, I think." Peculier responded, watching his step on the uneven cuts of stone that the miners had hastily formed. "Redstone, Gold, Iron, even Diamond. The land Mistral sits on is rich with minerals."

"Then I wonder why they pulled the plug on the whole thing." Honeydew responded. The two stopped for a moment when ominous hisses started becoming audible in the pit below. Honeydew armed himself with his pick while Peculier reached for his rusty old sword, the blade crude but still packing a deadly punch. Two then continued downward, the Dwarf studying any miscellaneous ore vein they passed along the way. This again made him pose the question on why the mine was shut down.

"I think my father's expedition down here had something to do with the mine's closing." Peculier said suddenly, his voice echoing off the walls as he unknowingly answered Honeydew's question. "It closed shortly after his disappearance, if I recall correctly."

Honeydew watched as a creeper fell past them from off a higher platform, and the two heard a crack and a short hiss as it struck the ground somewhere below.

"Then its highly possible whatever your dad wanted is still down here."

Suddenly, an arrow pierced the wall between the two. Honeydew and Peculier turned to see they had finally reached the bottom, and a skeleton reloaded its bow as gigantic spiders charged at the two. Peculier quickly shoved the torch into Honeydew's hands before racing down the rest of the stairs, cleaving the first spider's head that reached him in two.

"Die, foul beasts!" he yelled, slashing at the giant arachnids. The spiders' yellow-green blood started to soak out onto the floor as Honeydew raced past the old man, heading for the skeleton near the back of the room. It let loose its arrow at the sight of the Dwarf, but it whistled past his head as Honeydew smashed is pick into the side of the skeleton's skull. The bone shattered, and the pickaxe visible through the skeleton's empty eye socket before the rest of it crumpled into a pile. Torch still in hand, Honeydew removed his pickaxe from the shattered skull and turned back towards Peculier. A pile of dead spiders had grown around the old man as he slashed at spider after spider, ending their lives almost always instantly. Honeydew then saw another, decently larger spider emerge from the shadows in Peculier's blind spot, its fangs glistening in the torchlight before it leapt at the man.

"Look out!"

Old_Peculier quickly turned, but the spider was already on top of him. Peculier was knocked to the ground, the humongous spider opening its mouth to bite down into his neck when Honeydew's pickaxe hit it bluntly in the side of the head. The spider gave a shrill hiss of pain as it stumbled back, Peculier instantly sitting up as Honeydew raced past him to pick up his pickaxe. The spider had by now recovered and was coming towards them again. It leapt, and Honeydew adjusted his grip on the torch before stabbing the flaming end into one of the spider's deep red eyes. The spider cried out again before it fell onto its side, its yellow-green blood instantly evaporating as it tried to ooze out. Its legs then curled over its hairy abdomen and grew still. Honeydew turned and helped Peculier to his feet after seizing the torch again.

"You alright, old man?" He asked. Peculier cracked his back before reaching for his sword again.

"I'm fine. Just a little bruised, it seems." He replied. Honeydew held up the torch as they studied the room again.

"I'm pretty sure that's the last of 'em…" Honeydew said after a moment. The mossy cobblestone room was empty, save for the bodies of their fallen foes scattered around. Honeydew swung the torch around as he turned, and many cavern entrances were now revealed in the dark. He and Peculier approached and read the sign hanging beside each entrance. Each read a different ore name, indicating which tunnels were for mining what material. Eventually, they came to a cavern entrance that had collapsed completely, another sign hanging beside it.

_Diamond mine_

_COMDEMNED_

_Absolutely __no__ entry!_

"Well, I wonder where we have to go…" Honeydew said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he readied his pick. He swung at a precise spot in the rubble, and the whole thing came toppling down, revealing the remains of the tunnel past it. "It's always the most dangerous place, isn't it?"

"Let's hurry, Honeydew. I don't want more creatures waiting for us when we return." Peculier told him, taking the torch again as he pressed on down the previously-sealed cavern. Honeydew sighed and followed, pickaxe still in hand as he did. A pile of rubble occasionally tried to stop them by blocking the path, but they were all soon felled by Honeydew's expert swing. Upon clearing one pile away, however, a bright light suddenly filled the tunnel, much brighter than the torch. After being momentarily blinded, Honeydew and Peculier looked passed the smaller heap of rubble to see a pool of lava before them, part of the path having collapsed into the molten rock. Honeydew and Peculier shared a look before they carefully started edging their way around it, knowing that one misstep would cost them their lives. Successfully crossing the lava pit, the two continued down the passage until it opened up into another room.

Before them sat another Nether Portal, the obsidian frame cracked with a huge chunk of its side missing. Although the portal was inactive, signs of its taint were still eminent in the chamber. Small fires much like the ones that had engulfed Peculier's home sat scattered around it, unholy and undying, and piles of sand covered the small room's mossy floor. Peculier stepped forward and studied it.

"So this is what my father set out to do…" He said to himself. Honeydew glanced away from the portal to look at the man next to him. The Dwarf then turned his attention to the sand at their feet.

"Hey, wasn't there sand like this back at the one by the Yogcave?" He asked, kneeling down to study it. Peculier looked down as well.

"Indeed there was…"

Honeydew could tell that Peculier was distracted. He looked over to see the old man's gaze now fixed on a certain pile of sand to the right of the portal frame. Squinting, the Dwarf could faintly make out some object laying directly below the sand. Peculier walked over and cleared the sand away with his hands, and a chest now sat before him. It was relatively new, or at least far less old than the one they'd found at the tower. Honeydew walked over as Peculier knelt down and pushed the lid open easily. Inside the chest sat a neatly folded, bluish-grey tunic, matching armored leggings and thick leather boots beside it. An old rapier lay across the armor, the blade stained and rusted in some parts, but in far better condition that Peculier's current sword. Sitting at the very top of the pile was another piece of paper, neatly folded and kept closed with a wax seal. Peculier opened it and read it silently, Honeydew peering over the man's shoulder to read as well.

_Son, _

_If you are reading this, than I am dead. I have entered the portal to seal it shut on the other side. Know that I died to protect this land from a terrible evil. In the Nether lives an evil spirit_, _and it_ _must not be allowed into Minecraftia at any cost._

_If it somehow gets through once again, it is up to you to vanquish it! In this chest is my armor and our family sword. It falls to you, and those who stand with you to save the world. Fight well, my son, and know that I have always loved you._

_~K. Peculier_

Old_Peculier stared at the note a moment before slowly refolding it and tucking it in his pocket. Honeydew watched as the man quickly slipped the armor on over his old clothes and strapped the rapier to his belt. He turned to face Honeydew again, and the Dwarf knew that this was no longer the frail old man he and Xephos had met on the road to Terrorvale.

This was Knight_Peculier, and the new life in his eyes clearly showed he was finally ready to take on the challenges ahead.

* * *

Xephos sat in the corner of his cell, hugging his knees with his head down. He hadn't moved for what felt like days, and he never responded when Daisy tried to talk to him. The Spaceman just sat there, not knowing what to do or think. Reality was slowly starting to sink in. He was trapped in the Nether, out of contact with anyone on the surface, and the chance of him and Daisy getting out here alive was very, very low. Israphel's defenses were near impenetrable, both inside and out, and if he were to cut down a zombie during their escape, it was highly likely that three or more would fill its place.

It was hopeless.

Suddenly, Xephos heard his cell door open. The Spaceman glanced up and was horrified to see Israphel standing there, flanked by Reverend_John and another hulking zombie. Israphel smirked at him.

"The time has come, Spaceman. Come with me." He said, taking a step towards him. Xephos instantly reached for his sword that sat next to him, unsheathing it and holding it out in front of him protectively.

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" he yelled, panicking. "S-Stay away! Whatever you want me to do, I'm not doing it!"

Israphel just smirked again as he suddenly disappeared from view. Within the next instant he had suddenly grabbed and pulled Xephos to his feet before elbowing him in the back of the neck. The Spaceman gasped and fell forward, becoming limp as he hit the ground. He was unconscious instantly, and Israphel looked down at him before sheathing Xephos' sword and handing it to Reverend_John. Israphel then exited the cell and allowed the zombie to enter. It grabbed Xephos by the back of his collar and dragged the unconscious Spaceman out, slamming the door behind them.

"What's going on?" Daisy's voice asked. The girl walked over to her cell's barred window and saw the whole scene, managing to make out Xephos' limp form before Israphel stepped between her and her friend.

"What're you doing with him?" Daisy asked the pale-face man in front of her, glaring. Israphel just gave a chilling smile and started to turn away from her.

"Say goodbye to your friend, dear. I'm afraid you won't be seeing him again." He replied, a dark laugh starting to rise in his throat. He passed John and the zombie and began to make his way back down the hall, his two underlings starting to follow again.

"What? No! Xephos, wake up and run! Xephos!" Daisy cried, desperately pounding a fist against the heavy iron door. But Xephos was out cold, and Daisy watched as he was dragged out of sight. Tears began to well in her eyes as she sat down on her bed. She cupped her face with her hands as she started to sob, fearing for the Spaceman's life.


	12. Chapter 12: The Plot Thickens

**Separated**

**Chapter 12: The Plot Thickens**

* * *

Honeydew watched as Knight_Peculier turned towards him, a serious expression on his face. His hand was resting on the hilt of his sheathed rapier. The Dwarf was surprised at how quickly he'd changed in both appearance and demeanor. Not only did he look younger, but the new light in his eyes showed brimming confidence and determination. The two simply looked at each other for a moment before Peculier broke the silence.

"It is clear what we must do now." He said, turning to stare at the Nether portal frame. "Not only must we defeat Israphel, we must make sure that his evil will never hurt anyone ever again."

"Technically isn't that what we meant to do in the first place?" Honeydew asked. Peculier ignored him as he turned towards the exit of the small cavern, his new sword tapping against his leg rhythmically as he walked.

"We have no time to waste! We must find Lysander and head to Verigan's Hold!" He yelled back, disappearing around the corner. Honeydew quickly ran after him, looking confused.

"Verigan's what?"

"No time to explain! Come on!"

Noticing the torch was starting to die out, Honeydew discarded it before reaching into his bag for a new one. He quickly lit it by dragging its head across the wall, and the tunnel was once again brightened by the small flame. He and Peculier continued swiftly and silently back down the narrow tunnel, passing the lava pool again without effort.

"So, you're officially a knight again, huh?" Honeydew asked, looking at Peculier in front of him. The man glanced over his shoulder back at the Dwarf before facing forward again.

"It seems so." He gave the short reply. Honeydew shrugged.

"Looks like I can't call you 'old man' anymore. Hmm, Knight_Peculier… How does KP sound?"

"If that's what you want to call me." KP replied with a small shrug. "I don't really care."

"Alright then! Let's get going." Honeydew declared. KP quickened his pace as the Dwarf followed after him. They soon reached the main tunnel complex where they had fought earlier, and Honeydew sighed when he saw more spiders had decided to show themselves. KP quickly unsheathed his rapier right when the spiders noticed the new arrivals. He gave a cry and charged for the beasts, swiftly chopping their heads and legs off. Honeydew grabbed his pickaxe off his belt and smashed the nearest spider's skull in with his unbridled Dwarven strength. The two men then started working their way towards the stairs, slaying any attacker that came near.

"They keep coming! It's best if we make a break for the surface." KP called as he began to dash up the steps. Honeydew pulled his now-bloody pickaxe out of a spider's abdomen before following KP up. The remaining spiders kept their pursuit, glowing red eyes reflecting their hunger. The few who managed to catch up were swiftly blinded by the torch's light suddenly shoved in their face before being kicked into the pit below. Honeydew and KP reached the top platform and quickly turned to face their pursuers. The spiders now kept their distance, staying out of the torchlight and only visible due to their multiple eyes reflecting back at them. A chorus of hisses then sounded before they all turned to descend the stairs again, having lost interest in their prey. Honeydew sighed in relief as KP leaned on the wall, trying to catch his breath.

"I don't know what's worse; giant spiders or creeper blasts." The Dwarf mumbled. He straightened his iron helm, the headgear having become askew in the run before he turned back to face KP. The man had caught his breath and had turned towards the ladder again, silently beginning to climb back up. Honeydew adjusted his grip on the torch before he began the climb as well. The knight and the dwarf continued to ascend back to the surface silently. As they did, Honeydew suddenly felt as if something was amiss. He was trying to deduce what when he heard KP stop above him. A creak was heard, and the moonlight came pouring down from the open hatch. Honeydew quickly blew out the torch and let it drop into the bit below as KP hauled himself up to the surface, soon turning to help Honeydew out as well.

That's when Honeydew smelled it. The smell of charred wood drifted through the air, and he immediately knew what he'd been dreading only a few seconds ago. He turned as KP glanced up, and both pairs of eyes widened in shock. A large plume of smoke now clouded the sky above Mistral city, the wooden buildings set ablaze in a series of giant fires. The roar of the flames became audible to their ears as ash and embers fell from the sky. The two simply started at the inferno for a good minute at least. Finally, KP snapped out of staring at the fires before running towards the blaze, getting Honeydew's attention.

"We have to find Lysander!" He called back, stopping to face Honeydew again. Honeydew gave a simple nod, and he ran after KP as the man disappeared in the wall of smoke ahead of him. The dwarf took a deep breath before entering the plume as well, carefully making his way around any burning rubble or falling debris from the Upper Level. A loud crash was heard as a large portion of a cobblestone structure crumbled directly in front of the Dwarf, forcing Honeydew to stumble back to save himself from being crushed. He coughed and squinted past the thick black smoke, trying to find a new route. Managing to make out a hole that had been burned through a wall, the dwarf quickly dashed through it, leaping over some small fires before bursting through the building's front door. He quickly gasped in fresh air, the smoke less dense in the new area. Coughing out the pollutants, Honeydew looked around to see he was in what was left of the main square. The bases of the three fountains had been fractured, allowing water to pour out onto the street and wash away some flames.

Honeydew then saw sudden movement and turned to see KP emerge from the smoke next to him, part of his shirt set aflame by stray embers. The knight managed to pat out the flame as he coughed.

"Any sign of Lysander?" Honeydew yelled, rushing over to his friend's side. KP coughed again before he looked over, frowning.

"No, unfortunately. We need to get to the Elysium!" He replied. The two then broke out down across the main square. They'd just past the remains of the Church of the Holy Record (Father_Braeburn having replaced the sign while they were away), and Honeydew stopped when he saw a partly-charred sign staked into the ruined ground. KP stopped to wait for him as the Dwarf quickly read.

_To whoever reads this:_

_The Holy Record is trapped inside the church! If anyone will be kind enough to retrieve it and deliver it to me in Icaria, I'd be very grateful! A reward will be offered as well. May Notch watch over you all!_

_~Father B._

"Well, at least Braeburn made it out alive…" KP said, mostly to himself. Honeydew studied the sign for a moment before glancing at the crumbling church. The stain-glass windows had been smashed in, and flames could be seen still burning inside. Honeydew shot a glance at KP before rushing through the church door.

"What're you doing?!" KP called over the inferno. A few seconds later, the Dwarf came running back out of the church, panting. A metal case was now in his hands. Honeydew quickly tucked said case into his bag before looking at KP.

"I never miss an opportunity to get rewarded!" Was all he had to say. KP rolled his eyes before taking off back down Victoria Street.

"Just hurry already!" Honeydew quickly caught up to him as they passed Granny's shop. It had burned entirely to the ground. A few segments of the walls and the counter were the only things remaining, and the old woman was nowhere to be seen.

"Looks like everyone's fled to Icaria." KP deduced as he and Honeydew ran, rounding the corner that led to the Elysium. "It's the closest city to Mistral. Hopefully Lysander hasn't gone with them, too. We need him!"

"Right." Honeydew responded. They reached the Elysium, and the building was in slightly better condition than the previous buildings they had passed. The cobblestone frame had stayed intact, and although the wooden portions of the walls had been burned to a crisp, most of the upper floor still stood. Honeydew and KP raced inside, looking around for any sign of the Skylord.

"Lysander? Lysander, where are you?" KP yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. When he received no reply, the knight quickly climbed the crumbling staircase as Honeydew looked around, not seeing a single sign of the Skylord. He sighed, hoping they wouldn't discover charred remnants of Lysander's body. Suddenly, he noticed something. Where Lysander's pink carpet had once been now say an old wooden hatch, the wood rugged and splintering in some parts. He raised a brow.

"Hey KP, come take a look at this!" He called. The knight quickly made his way back downstairs and stared at the wooden hatch. His brow also raised in suspicion.

"Why would Lysander have this?" He asked. He bent down and pulled the heavy hatch open with the small iron handle attached to the wood. What was revealed was a small staircase built with unusual dark stone, and it curved around a corner so the two couldn't see where it lead. The two shared a look.

"I don't like where this is going…" Honeydew said, staring down the staircase hesitantly.

"Neither do I, friend, but we need to investigate." KP stood and unsheathed his sword before slowly making his way down the steps, Honeydew following soon after. The two rounded the corner and entered a small room. It was made of material clearly not of this world. The walls had a red, flesh-like quality to it, and torches were the only source of slight in the tiny chamber. Honeydew's eyes fell upon a piece of cloth pinned to the wall opposite to them, words written in blood on it. Honeydew quickly read what was written, and his fears were confirmed.

_Israphel,_

_I bow to you, my one true master._

_~Lysander_

"No…" Honeydew felt his heart sink, and he had to hold onto the wall to keep from falling over in pure shock. "Lysander couldn't be…"

KP silently read the ominous note, his expression unreadable. He let out a heavy sigh as he sheathed his sword.

"Oh Lysander, how could you do such a thing and burn this proud city…" He shook his head as he began up the stairs again. "Let's go, Honeydew."

The dwarf simply stared at the words for another moment before turning and following KP back up the stairs. His and Lysander's trust and friendship had grown the few weeks they'd known each other, making the Skylord's inevitable betrayal all the more heartbreaking. Their team had dwindled from four, to three, and now only two remained. Honeydew's thoughts were interrupted when KP stopped at the top of the stairs suddenly.

"If I remember correctly, Daisy's father had a secret storeroom under his shop." He explained, turning towards the dwarf. "We are a bit ill-equipped. I think we should pay it a visit."

"Sounds good to me." Honeydew replied, giving a half-hearted shrug. He and KP then exited the Elysium, working their way through the dying inferno before they came to Dukes Smithy. Part of the wall had given way, allowing easy entrance. KP quickly walked over to behind the main counter and felt under the tabletop. Eventually, Honeydew heard a_ click _and part of the floor moved to reveal a ladder that lead to an underground storeroom. He quickly peered into the room before climbing down, Knight_Peculier following after him.

Honeydew looked around the brightly-lit storeroom and saw many chests lining the walls. He smiled and instantly started digging through the nearest one. He found a set of what he guessed was Mistral guard armor. It was iron painted camouflage, and the arms and leggings were a sturdy black chainmail. Beside the armor was a crossbow, a bag of crossbow bolts, and an iron straightsword; Xephos' specialty. The dwarf quickly strapped the armor chest plate and leggings on before shoving the new weapons into his bag. He started going through the next chest, KP doing the same on the opposite side of the room. More crossbow bolts, a stone dagger, and a bag of gold sat in this one. The Dwarf smiled and instantly dug through the bag of gold. There were about twenty-seven gold pieces in the bag. Not much, but it was enough to buy new armor if he were to need it.

Tucking his newly acquired equipment away, Honeydew turned and saw Peculier waiting for him by the door. He hadn't taken much; just an iron helmet and a few resources from what Honeydew could tell. The two had just begun the climb back up into the main shop when a shrill scream pierced the air.

"Unhand me, you fiends! Help!"

"That's Granny_Bacon!" KP yelled back to the dwarf, grabbing his rapier and rushing out the door as soon as he reached the top of the ladder. "Quickly, Honeydew!" The dwarf reached for his pickaxe and followed the knight back out onto the street. The two then rushed back towards the main gate. Both dwarf and knight headed out across the drawbridge, and KP veered to the left down an old gravel path, eventually reaching the crumbling ruins of yet another guard tower.

"What's this place?" Honeydew asked. KP looked the building up and down before responding.

"A long time ago, Israphel had a Cult that worshipped him like a god." He explained. "This was their old headquarters, but they were shut down by my father, a little while before he disappeared. I fear the Cultists have resurfaced and have taken Granny inside!"

Honeydew looked at the tower's door. It had recently been reinforced with a brand new iron one, and parts of the wall had obviously been restructured with better material. The Dwarf then finished his assessment and looked at KP, a confident smirk on his face as he rested his pickaxe on his shoulder.

"Well, what're we standing here talkin' for, then?" He asked. "Let's go save Granny!"

Instead of nodding and raising his rapier like the dwarf had expected him to, KP frowned.

"I'm sorry, friend, but you must do this alone."

"What?! Why?"

"I need to press ahead to Verigan's Hold. I'm sorry to leave you like this, hero, but this business is urgent. I'm sure you can handle yourself down there."

It was Honeydew's turn to frown. He sighed and fixed his helm upon his head again.

"Alright, I guess that works."

"Just follow this path north when you're finished. It'll take you right up to the Hold." KP explained, starting to turn and hurry down the path towards a large, somewhat terrifying rock formation. It depicted a large skull, and the path led straight through its gaping mouth. Peculier stopped right at The Skull's mouth and turned to give a wave back to Honeydew.

"Goodbye, hero! I will see you soon!" With that, he disappeared down into The Skull and was gone.

Honeydew turned his attention back towards the ruins of the old guard tower. He approached the reinforced door and tried to open it. With no surprise, it didn't. Honeydew's brow furrowed as he pulled up his gloves, gripping his pickaxe tightly before swinging it into where the door was shingled to the wall. He then forced the pickaxe forward with all his strength, intent on prying the entire thing off its hinges. The iron door creaked as its frame bent, and soon the bolts holding the door in place popped off. The metal door flew forward, and Honeydew nearly stumbled into the nearby moat at the sudden release. The dwarf then stared into the dark tower before raising his pickaxe in the air.

"I'm coming, my love!" He yelled. His voice echoed down the tower's walls as he then rushed inside, not knowing what might lie ahead.

* * *

Xephos' eyes fluttered open when he felt something lap up against his legs. It took a moment for his vision to clear, but he soon became aware that it was the night sky he was staring up at, and not the ceiling of his prison cell. Realizing this, Xephos quickly sat up and looked around.

He was on a beach, the waves softly lapping up and down the shoreline. The moon reflected off the water's still surface, creating a silver stream of light across the water towards the Spaceman. Xephos stood, his pant legs soaking wet from the waves. He turned to study the land behind him. A tree line sat directly where the sand ended, little to no dirt between the two patches of land. Xephos could feel eyes watching him as he turned again, taking in his new surroundings. It was just some ordinary beach in the middle of nowhere. How pleasant.

"I must be dreaming…" He mumbled, not believing Israphel would let him go so easily. But after walking up and down the shoreline a few minutes, Xephos realized he was wide awake and this was real. Again, questions filled his mind. As he turned to continue pacing, he felt a light thump against his back for the first time. He reached behind him and realized his diamond sword was now strapped to his back, the strap slung over his shoulder. At least Israphel was nice enough to leave him in the middle of nowhere equipped.

That was when Xephos realized what was going on. Israphel was _using_ him for something. Why else would he be so suddenly thrown out here? He saw the Spaceman as a pawn, and after making sure his pawn had been influenced, Israphel had sent it out to do whatever he had intended. Xephos reached for his head, a sudden pain striking him before it quickly died away. Influenced he had been. The Spaceman could feel Israphel's taint starting to take a toll on him, and even though he was out of the demon's immediate influence, the threat of corruption was still strong. The Spaceman's hands rolled into tight fists as he glared towards the sky. Once again, he found himself hating this entire situation.

"I don't care what you're planning, you damn demon you!" He yelled upwards, anger and hatred lining every part of his voice. "You're the one who's done this to me, giving me these damn nightmares and all this other bullshit! I can't even trust myself around my friends anymore!" His anger only grew as he remembered the incident with Daisy a few days earlier. He never wanted a moment to happen like that again, completely losing himself to this other, darker side.

"All this shit because of _you! _Israphel, I swear I'll end you if it's the last fucking thing I do!"

Whilst the Spaceman had been ranting in anger up towards the sky, a zombie had made its way out of the tree line, shambling over towards Xephos with the intent to kill. Still seething with rage, Xephos quickly unsheathed his sword and severed the zombie's head from its shoulders as soon as it came close, the undead falling flat on the reddening sand. Xephos simply glared down at the body before turning and continuing down the beach, sheathing his sword on his back as he did. A plume of black smoke rose up in the distance behind him, but the Spaceman didn't bother to question why. He silently stalked off deeper into the night, unaware of the twinge of red becoming apparent in his eyes as he made his way down the moonlit shoreline.


	13. Chapter 13: Grim Encounters

**Separated**

**Chapter 13: Grim Encounters**

* * *

Honeydew walked down the dim hallway, freshly-lit torches lining the walls as he continued forward. The hall had started to slope downward, continuing deeper and deeper as the Dwarf walked. Honeydew kept his hand on his pickaxe, just in case something snuck up on him from behind. Eventually, the hall leveled out and started to widen, and Honeydew heard something up ahead. Readying his pick, the Dwarf slowly started to edge his way forward, the noise getting louder as he approached.

_Whisk! _An arrow went flying past his head as two skeletons revealed themselves. One started to reload its bow at the other sent loose another arrow. Honeydew dodged it and ran towards the two undead, smashing in a few of a skeleton's ribs before sending it to the ground. He felt an arrow embed itself in his side, but the armor stopped it from digging too deep into his skin. The Dwarf quickly grabbed the straightsword out of his bag and swiftly decapitated the second skeleton with one smooth swing. He stepped over the fresh piles of bones before continuing down the hall, yanking the arrow out of his side. Honeydew cringed as he did.

"Gods, how long does this thing go?" He asked himself. He barely had time to finish his sentence when an arrow stuck him in the shoulder.

"Ow!" He gripped his injured shoulder and glared when he saw three more skeletons emerge from the shadows. He tore the arrow from his wound before charging at the three, both the straightsword and his pickaxe readied for attack. The skeletons were taken by surprise at how fast the Dwarf recovered, and one had its skull smashed in before it could repel Honeydew's attack. The remaining two backed away, firing more arrows as Honeydew quickly approached. Suddenly, a creeper made its way into the dim light, causing the Dwarf to hang back a bit. The creeper was so focused on Honeydew, it was unaware that it walked right into the path of a skeleton's arrow. The creeper hissed in pain as it struck the back of its head, and it whirled around to face the skeletons. Before the two undead archers could do anything, there was a blast, and shattered ribs and femurs struck the walls a split second later.

"Well…that was...convenient…." Honeydew mumbled, cautiously continuing over the newly-formed crater. The hall opened up into a long room, a ragged red carpet laying across the floor. Honeydew decapitated a zombie as it emerged from the shadows beside him before continuing to look around. A little ways down the hall was a staircase, and many iron doors lined the walls. It seemed to be a prison. Resting his pickaxe on his shoulder, the Dwarf continued down the long room, stepping over the occasional blood stain or crumbling part of the floor. Eventually, he heard a familiar moan from one of the cells, and Honeydew ran towards the cell's door.

"Granny! Granny, you there?" He asked, peering through the door's barred window. Granny_Bacon was leaning on the wall, clutching her stomach and bent over in pain. Worried, Honeydew reached over and pulled a lever beside the door down. The door swung open, but Honeydew wasn't sure if Granny even noticed.

"Granny?" he tried again, entering the cell and walking over towards the old woman's side. "It's me, Honeydew."

Granny_Bacon moaned again before looking over towards the Dwarf. Her eyes were bloodshot, and Honeydew noticed her skin had a greenish tone to it for the first time. Getting a bad feeling in his gut, the Dwarf started backing away towards the exit as Granny turned to face him, a crazed look in her eyes. Suddenly, she lashed out at Honeydew with a well-aimed fist, and Honeydew barely had time to avoid it as he ran out of the cell. He stopped and turned to see that Granny had followed him out, her hair having started to fall out of its bun and into thin silver clumps around her shoulders. Honeydew readied the straightsword in his hand as he eyed Granny carefully.

"Now Granny, sweetheart, I don't want to have to hurt you…" He told her, backing up again. "Can't we talk this out over a cup o' tea?"

Still, Granny slowly shambled closer to him, moaning now and then. Honeydew gulped before Granny lashed out at him again, this time successfully landing a punch on his jaw. Honeydew stumbled back and made sure his jaw was still intact before blocking another of Granny's attacks with his sword. Honeydew gritted his teeth as he tried to keep the old woman back. Whatever had happened to Granny, it had certainly made her stronger. Finally, the Dwarf pushed Granny back and slashed at her arm. She gave a shrill scream as her green arm fell to the floor, and she glared at Honeydew as she reached for her wound. Not waiting for her to recover, Honeydew ran forward and aimed his sword at her slender neck. There was the sound of flesh ripping open, and Granny fell to the floor, having been killed instantly.

Honeydew caught his breath as he stared down at the body. Blood had already begun to pool onto the floor from both Granny's severed arm and head. Eventually, the Dwarf sighed and took off his iron helm, holding it over his heart.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Bacon. If only I'd gotten here sooner…"

After a moment of silence, Honeydew placed his helmet back onto his head and turned back down the hall, heading towards the staircase he saw earlier. He swiftly climbed it and opened the door that waited at the top, shutting it softly behind him. Another long, dimly-lit hall lay before him, and the Dwarf sighed before continuing down it again.

As he walked, Honeydew played the day's events back in his head. He and Lysander had restored Peculier to his former health. Good. He and Peculier had ventured into a spider-infested mine and found the last remnants of Peculier's father. An okay development. Lysander was revealed to be a Cultist and had burned down the entirety of Mistral City. Bad. Granny had been captured and turned into a bloodthirsty zombie. Downright horrible.

Honeydew sighed again as he came to another, older door. He opened it and continued into the next room, and his eyes widened in surprise when he found it wasn't empty. Reverend_John sat at a desk in the corner of the room, feet up on the desk as he read a tattered old Bible. He looked away from his reading after a moment and turned his head to stare at Honeydew, a calm and unreadable expression on his face. Honeydew gulped at the sight of the undead Reverend before quickly stepping back out into the hall to gather himself.

"Shit shit shit shit shiiiiit..."

Honeydew took a breath before bravely stepping back into the room, both his pickaxe and his straightsword ready to face the Reverend. John was now standing beside his desk, his Bible tucked under his arm as he waited for the Dwarf. The zombie cleared his throat before speaking.

"My master said I wouldn't be seeing you again." He stated, slowly reaching for his golden sword that was strapped to his belt. It was unsheathed with a sharp _shing _as he entered a fighting stance. "I guess I just have to deal with you here and now."

Honeydew then charged at the Reverend, ready to smash both of his weapons through the undead's skull. He swung with his pickaxe first and the sword second. Reverend_John swiftly jumped back to dodge the first attack before blocking Honeydew's sword. The two swords clashed as their wielders attempted to unbalance the other, currently locked in a stalemate. Honeydew aimed another swing at John's head, and the zombie dodged before knocking Honeydew back with a sudden push. The Dwarf caught himself before he fell and looked back over to see the Reverend take off down another long hallway. Quickly readjusting his helmet upon his head, Honeydew followed after him. Although he could not see the Reverend up ahead, he could tell he was close by the sound of his footfalls.

Honeydew soon came to a sharp turn in the hall, and the Dwarf quickly rounded it. He slid to a stop when he saw Reverend_John had been waiting for him at the turn, and the zombie swiftly stabbed Honeydew with his sword, piercing the armor and digging deep into the Dwarf's left side. Honeydew yelled and managed to kick John down, forcing the Reverend to lose his grip on the sword. He heard John grunt as he hit the stone floor before he quickly scrambled up and took off further down the hall. Honeydew yanked the golden sword out of his side, leaning on the wall momentarily to recover from the blow. Ignoring the immense pain, he quickly chased after the Reverend, leaving the bloody sword behind and determined to make sure John stayed dead for good this time.

Honeydew saw the narrow hall start to brighten up ahead, and he soon entered a rectangular room made completely out of sand. To his left was the toppled frame of a Nether Portal, aged and ruined by its time left there. To his right sat a newly constructed Portal, more moans and screams sounding through the purple light at its center. Beside the working portal was a dried up cactus, its form twisted and its needles more like long black claws. Honeydew observed all this in a split second before Reverend_John grabbed him from behind, forcing the Dwarf into a headlock. Despite John's hold on him, Honeydew managed to slam the zombie into the wall behind them. Because it was sand, it didn't do much damage, but it was enough for the Reverend to lose his grip on the Dwarf. Honeydew quickly whirled and sent his sword straight through John's chest, and the undead let out one final gasp before his head rolled to the side, eyes becoming distant.

Honeydew removed the sword and tucked both his weapons away, taking time to examine the room more as he carefully tried not to strain the injury in his side. It was still bleeding, but it had lessened greatly, and the Dwarf guessed his armor would stop further blood loss until he had time to properly bandage it. His attention turned to the newer Nether Portal, and after a few solid swings of his pickaxe, the purple light died as the portal became inactive, its frame now useless and fractured with a good chunk of obsidian missing.

Honeydew grunted as he turned to study the room again. Something had been common at each of the Portal altars he'd come across. This exact sand had been at each, and it appeared the longer the portal had been there, the more had spawned. He had no idea what this sand did, but he knew it was something to be wary of. He looked over to Reverend_John again.

"You better stay dead this time, you hear me? Hang on, what's this?"

Honeydew then noticed a piece of paper sticking out of the Reverend's robe pocket. He bent down to retrieve it. The parchment was yellowed with age, and there were random markings smudged all over, from lines to drawings to symbols written in a language he did not know. He turned it over in his hands before he raised a brow.

"Is this a map fragment?" He asked himself. It must've been important if John had kept it. "Guess I'll keep it for now..."

Tucking the paper away, he turned again and walked to the wall behind where the newer portal stood, taking out a shovel from his bag as he did. The Dwarf then began digging upward, and soon the sandy slope gave way to reveal the surface not that far above.

"Wow, I'm much closer to the surface than I thought…" He mumbled to himself, slowly making his way up the slope. He emerged right beside the path he and KP had taken towards the Cultist's Tower, and the towering rock formation of The Skull sat in front of him, its mouth threatening to close down on him at any given moment. The dwarven man threw his bag down as he plopped himself down beside it, taking a moment to rest. He soon found himself staring at the stars above him, a few starting to die out as the sun started to rise in the distance. The fires consuming Mistral had finally began to die, only a few flames remaining around the charred buildings nearby. Suddenly, Honeydew felt as though someone was watching him, and he turned to see a pair of glowing red eyes fixed on him, the owner masked by the darkness of The Skull's mouth. Honeydew's eyes widened as the figure stepped into view, a dark, twisted longbow in one of his hands and a devilish smirk on his pale face.

"Y-You!" Honeydew sprang to his feet and readied his weapons, trying to mask his inner fear with a glare at the figure. "What're you doing here?"

Israphel didn't answer as he stared back at the Dwarf, his smirk not leaving his face. Honeydew gulped as he felt sweat starting to form on his brow.

"What did you do with Xephos!?" He asked next, taking a single step towards the demon as he did. Israphel's expression changed to one of amusement.

"How did I know you were going to ask that?" he asked himself, tapping his chin as he pretended to think. "Oh, right, because you're a spineless sap who can't do a single thing right without that Spaceman keeping you in line."

"Tell me what you've done with him!" Honeydew yelled in response, his voice firmer this time as his glare hardened. Israphel raised a brow at him before he smirked again.

"Persistent on knowing, aren't we? Very well." He held out his free hand, his palm facing downward as he continued. "It'll be a whole lot easier if I just show you, now, won't it?"

Suddenly, swirls of darkness began to spiral under the Dark Lord's hand, becoming thicker and darker before the black mass cleared. Xephos now hung by his collar in Israphel's grip, his starship uniform in rags as blood trickled down injuries all along his arms and around his head. Honeydew's eyes widened as Israphel tossed the Spaceman down the stone steps towards the Dwarf, and Honeydew dropped his weapons before running over to his friend.

"Xephos! A-Are you awake?" He asked, shocked to see his friend in such a bad way. Xephos moaned, lying face down in the dirt as he tried to pick himself up. His arms gave out and he fell flat again, his face turned away from Honeydew. The Dwarf shook his friend's shoulder before rolling Xephos onto his back.

"I got you, buddy. Now we just have to- GOOD LORD!"

Honeydew jumped back when he saw that his friend's facial features had been warped into one of a creeper's. Empty eye sockets stared back at him as Creeper-Xephos gave Honeydew a terrifying grin, razor sharp teeth glinting in the dying moonlight.

"What'ssss wrong, friend? Sssscared?" Creeper-Xephos hissed in a mocking tone, the voice distorted but sounding so much like the Spaceman himself. He sat up to face the Dwarf. Honeydew heard Israphel laugh as Creeper-Xephos attempted to slash Honeydew across the face with sharp black claws. Honeydew braced for the pain, but to his surprise, none came. Creeper-Xephos had disappeared, a few wisps of darkness evaporating where he had been. Honeydew looked up the steps to see Israphel turn and take off further down the path that led through The Skull, still laughing as he vanished from sight.

Honeydew sat there, trying to catch his breath. Had what he saw been real, or was it just an illusion Israphel had cast to mess with him? He shook the image of Creeper-Xephos from his mind and stood, quickly gathering his things before staring up at The Skull in front of him. Dawn had finally arrived, the pink light pouring over the mountaintops in the distance before covering the land. Soon, Honeydew took a breath before following Israphel deeper down into The Skull, not knowing what was in store for him now.


	14. Chapter 14: Carnivals and Conjurations

**Separated**

**Chapter 14: Carnivals and Conjurations**

* * *

Honeydew quickly made his way down the crude stone path, the injury in his side hindering him only slightly as he chased after Israphel. There was no sign of the Dark Lord anywhere, and the Dwarf started to assume he had used his powers to disappear and head back to the Nether. Honeydew sighed, slowing his pace slightly. He stared at the ground has he continued through the pass, and when he looked up, an odd wooden staircase sat before him. Honeydew raised a brow.

"What the bugger is this doing here?" He asked no one, continuing up the rickety steps. They creaked under his weight as he climbed, and reaching the top the Dwarf noticed a sign.

_This way for FUN!_

An arrow pointing towards more wooden steps sat under the words. Honeydew's brow rose again before he continued up the stairs. He soon came across another sign.

_Almost there!_

Another arrow pointed around a corner. Honeydew sighed and followed the old wooden platforms. It was the only way through this cavern, it seemed. As he turned the corner, Honeydew was surprised to see the face of a gorilla staring back at him. Honeydew jumped back against the wall, startled.

"What the heck?!"

The gorilla tilted his head at the Dwarf before it pounded its chest once, making grunts as it pointed towards a circular entrance to a tube in the wall. Honeydew shifted so he could look to see what was through it. A waterslide curved downward out of sight, but from the light below, he could tell it lead outside. The gorilla pointed one more time before it dove down the slide, water splashing up behind it as it howled in excitement. Honeydew sighed.

"Well, guess there's no other route to take…"

With that, the Dwarf then jumped feet-first down the slide. He held onto his helmet as he rocketed down a bend, eventually shooting out the end and landing in a convenient pool of water. Honeydew resurfaced and spat out a mouthful of the somewhat-dirty liquid, rubbing his eyes before looking around. The Dwarf was now in the center of what appeared to be a small carnival, a few tents and booths set up all around an open area. A temporary stage was set up under a small rocky overhang, back against the cliff another large skull formation was carved out of. Honeydew moaned a bit as he pulled himself out of the pool, and he looked over to see the gorilla from before waiting for him.

"Welcome, friend!" it said, catching Honeydew by surprise again. The ape then stood straight and removed its head, now revealed to have been a mask. A short, smiling bald man stood before Honeydew now, and he pulled out a bowler hat before placing it over his bald cranium. Honeydew just stared at him.

"Uh…"

"You see, I wasn't _really _a gorilla! It was just a costume!" The man continued, his smile never failing. He approached Honeydew before throwing an arm around the Dwarf's shoulder and motioning towards the rest of the carnival. "And this is Carnvale De Banjo! Isn't it exiting?"

Honeydew just looked down at the man before pulling away. "Right… Look, have you seen a pale-faced man or an old knight come by here?"

"I be afraid not, dwarf." Came a new voice from behind the two men. Honeydew turned to see a middle-aged African woman standing there, her long purple dress dragging across the ground behind her. She took a moment to take a puff of her cigarette, blowing out a smoke ring before looking at Honeydew again. "We jus' arrived here late yesterday."

Honeydew raised a brow at the woman. "You sure? My friend only passed by a few hours ago." The woman just nodded before she sighed.

"I feel an ol' evil washin' ova this place." She mumbled to herself, her voice raspy and deep due to her smoking, most likely. "No good. Bad for business."

Before Honeydew could reply, the little man from before whirled the Dwarf around and started pushing him towards some of the booths. The woman rolled her eyes before turning and entering a blue and yellow silk tent, mumbling something under her breath.

"Don't listen to Nubescu, friend! This is a beautiful and exiting and fun and _exciting_ place! Now c'mon, we're missing out on plenty of FUN, and EXCITEMENT!"

Honeydew pulled away from the man again. "Listen, this is nice place and all, but I really need to get going, Mister…Mister, uh…"

"Mr. Banjo!" He replied.

"Right. So if you'd just be nice enough to point me in the direction of Verigan's-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Mr. Banjo whirled Honeydew around and started pushing him towards the tent Nubescu had entered. "Before you go, you just _have _to see Madame_Nubescu! She'll tell you your future, your fortune, your destiny, and your fate! For a small sum of gold, of course."

"Aren't those all the same thing?"

"Go on! Go on!"

Honeydew was about to argue when he remembered something he'd meant to ask Fumblemore a few days ago, but after seeing how easily the wizard could screw up, he decided to keep it to himself. Maybe if this Nubescu was any good, he could ask her.

"Alright, alright. I'll get a stupid reading." He replied. Mr. Banjo smiled before running off elsewhere in the carnival, and the Dwarf was glad he didn't have to deal with his pestering for a while.

"Get ready, Bruno! He'll be over here soon!" He heard the little man yell as he ran. The Dwarf entered the tent and looked around. Incense was lit around the small, dim space as Madame_Nubescu sat behind a small desk, flipping through a strange book. She looked up when Honeydew approached.

"Ah, hello dwarf. How can I be helpin' ya'?"

"I'd like two readings, please." He told her, holding up two fingers to clarify. Nubescu raised a brow at him.

"Two? Well, I suppose. That'd be twenty gold pieces, ten per readin'."

Honeydew gave a silent sigh as he started to dig through his bag, eventually pulling out the pouch of gold he'd taken from Duke's Smithy. He counted out twenty pieces before handing them to Nubescu, who quickly tucked them into a small pocket on her dress. She stood and led Honeydew over to a hatch before opening it.

"Here be my Scryin' Chamber." She explained. "I'll give ya' the readings down there."

Honeydew silently followed Nubescu down the ladder that lead to the Scrying Chamber. At the bottom, the room opened up into a large rectangle, a black cauldron sitting in the center of the room as the walls were lined with shelves with various books, jars, and other ingredients. A single purple curtain covered the door to another room, most likely Nubescu's private chambers. As Nubescu headed to a cauldron, Honeydew took the time to look at a few of the jars' labels. They contained many odd things, such as "Squid Spleens" and "Jabawap Tentacles". Honeydew pulled a face before walking over towards the cauldron. Nubescu looked at him.

"You done snoopin' around me voodoo supplies?" She asked. Honeydew gave a sheepish smile.

"I was just curious…"

"Anyway, da spirits be cloudin' da future." She continued, staring into the still water in the cauldron in front of her. She quickly started gathering materials off of the shelves before tossing them into the cauldron. Once the water engulfed the final ingredient, a plume of light blue smoke erupted upwards, quickly clearing until only a few wisps continued to rise from the murky water. The room had also been filled with a faint blue glow, the water apparently being the source.

"That's better." Nubescu said. She looked towards Honeydew. "What be your first question?"

"I'd like to know my future, please." Honeydew replied, staring intently at the odd wisps of smoke in front of him. Nubescu nodded before closing her eyes, mumbling a few chants and hymns under her breath before speaking up.

"Spirits of da Netha', I call upon thee to show us the future of this dwarf- What're you doin'?"

Nubescu stopped her recitation to give Honeydew a stern look. He'd been absently poking at the water's surface, distilling it and ruining her spell. Honeydew looked at her before tucking his hands behind his back.

"Oops, sorry…"

"Jus' don't do it again! This is a delicate incantation, and I don' want you dwarfin' it up." Honeydew wore an annoyed expression as she continued.

"Anyway, spirits of da Netha', show me this dwarf's future!"

There was a moment of silence as Nubescu kept her focus. Soon, Honeydew noticed that the wisps of smoke had begun to form shapes. The smoke took the form of Granny_Bacon, who waved at the Dwarf with a smile. Honeydew couldn't help but wave back, a look of amazement on his face.

"Do not mourn your lost love. More bacon will await you at the end of your journey." Nubescu spoke. Her voice had changed from her raspy croak to light and angelic, and Honeydew thought her short black hair waved with a nonexistent breeze. The image of Granny faded as Nubescu finished. She opened her eyes and looked at the Dwarf.

"I'm not sure what that means…" She told him, her voice normal again. Honeydew just smiled.

"It means a lot to me."

"If you say. You have anotha' question, dwarf. Choose wisely."

Honeydew already knew exactly what he wanted to ask. He took a moment to clear his throat before continuing.

"Well, you see… My friend's been missing for some time now. I was wondering if you could tell me how he was doing." He told her. Nubescu seemed to think it over before she nodded.

"I will try me best."

Closing her eyes, the woman started chanting again. After a moment, she stopped, and shapes started to form in the dancing smoke again. They were less clear as Granny_Bacon, but Honeydew could tell it was the grey silhouette of Xephos as he walked down a path.

"The man from space is treading a dangerous road." Nubescu spoke, her voice once again light and angelic. "A dark puppet master pulls at his stings, and soon he will face a terror worse than the man in black robes..."

The image in the smoke faded before another took its place. Xephos now stood with his sword drawn, a wisp of red smoke swirling around his silhouette.

"Many people will aide him in his struggle, but the outcome depends on his strength alone." Nubescu continued. The image changed to where the red wisp dispersed and Xephos now stood next to a silhouette that looked vaguely like Honeydew. "If he succeeds, he will be reunited with his friend, and praises of them both would be sung for generations…"

The image shifted once more. Xephos now stood alone again.

"But, if he should fail in this struggle…"

The image of Xephos changed to where red puffs of smoke sat where his eyes would be, and a devilish smile became apparent on the silhouette's face. The light of the room quickly changed from light blue to red, and Xephos' silhouette was engulfed in smoky flames before the light died, and the room returned to normal. Nubescu gripped her head as she leaned on the cauldron.

"This be exhaustin'…"

Honeydew simply stared down at the cauldron, its water having returned to it deep blue color. While the reading was better than what the Dwarf had expected, Xephos was still in danger, wherever he was. He wasn't sure what this 'other struggle' was, but he'd have to find out sooner or later if it meant he could help Xephos in any way he could.

"Well, thanks, Nubescu." Honeydew said absently, heading for the ladder that led back upstairs. Nubescu just nodded before turning back towards some of her shelves. Suddenly, she froze before turning towards Honeydew again, eyes wide in surprise.

"Wait, dwarf! Da spirits have another message for ya'…"

Honeydew immediately turned and raised a brow. "They do?"

"Yes. Give me a minute to channel dem again…" Nubescu closed her eyes, and once again her voice changed.

"A knight, old but filled with life." She began. "His family has secrets, but he does not know. His father is not who he says he is…"

Honeydew watched as Nubescu reached for her head again.

"…This be unclear. Come back later." She told him. She then turned and walked behind a purple curtain the separated this room from the next. "Ooh, I need a smoke..."

Honeydew watched as the strange woman disappeared from view, and he turned to continue up the ladder again. Xephos was in danger, KP's family has kept secrets from the knight, and all he knew about his future as that he'd get bacon sometime later. Honeydew sighed, quickly exiting the tent as soon as he reached to top of the ladder. Nothing seemed to look good nowadays.

"There you are!" He heard Mr. Banjo yell as he ran up to the Dwarf. The little man had changed out of his gorilla costume and now wore a clown outfit, his new face paint making his smile all the more unnerving.

"You look like a serial killer…" Honeydew told him, taking a step away from the man. Mr. Banjo didn't respond as he grabbed Honeydew by the arm again, leading him towards the nearby stage.

"C'mon, c'mon! One last thing! I'm sure you'll absolutely love it!" He cried, leaving no room for Honeydew to protest this time. The Dwarf rolled his eyes and followed Mr. Banjo through the carnival, hoping that whatever the man had planned would be short. If he was forced to spend another minute here after the next event ended, he silently swore to beat Mr. Banjo upside the head.


	15. Chapter 15: Not-so-Friendly Competition

**Separated**

**Chapter 15: Not-so-Friendly Competition**

* * *

Mr. Banjo dragged Honeydew over to the stage, still wearing his giant grin as he turned to face the Dwarf. Honeydew just stared down at the man, bored.

"Now _this_, my friend, is the most excitingest thing you'll ever see!" Mr. Banjo yelled in his nasally voice. He then quickly added "It's a word!" when Honeydew gave him a look. Honeydew looked up towards the stage. As far as he could tell, there was nothing 'exciting' about it. It was made of simple, slightly-aged wood planks, and a dingy red curtain hid whatever lay backstage. Honeydew had tuned out most of Mr. Banjo's rambling, mostly because he just kept stating how great the carnival was over and over again, and glanced to the right of the stage. Next to a small pink tent, a buff middle-aged man leaned against a temporary wooden beam, staring Honeydew down with his judgmental brown eyes. He was working his muscular arm by raising and lowering a dumbbell. Honeydew raised his brow at him, and Mr. Banjo noticed the two's staredown for the first time.

"Ah, I see you've noticed Bruno!" Mr. Banjo yelled. He ran over to the strange man's side. "Behold, Strongman_Bruno! The World's Strongest Man! We've done an investigation. Bruno's title is legit!"

By now, Bruno had smirked and walked over towards Honeydew. Despite the Dwarf's unusual tallness, he was still a good head taller than Honeydew, and only slightly taller than he remembered Xephos to be. Like Skylord_Jasper, he was bald, the only hair anywhere on his face were his eyebrows and a handlebar moustache. He gave a deep laugh and pointed at the Dwarf.

"Hah! Tiny dwarf, you look as strong as little mouse." He said in broken English, a thick Russian accent lining his voice. Honeydew looked up at him and glared.

"Who're you callin' tiny, mate? I happen to be the largest of my kind!"

"Gwa ha ha ha ha ha! Tiny little babby man!"

"Oh, you wanna go, you bugger? Bring it!"

"Gentlemen, gentlemen!" Mr. Banjo quickly stepped between the two. "If we're going to settle this, why not settle it in some friendly competition?"

"Sure! I'll kick his arse in anything you have planned!" Honeydew responded. No way he'd give up on this now; his dwarven pride had been challenged! Bruno just laughed again, and Honeydew noticed for the first time what the Strongman was wearing.

"You are wearing tiny little pink ladies pants…" Honeydew commented before bursting out into fits of laughter. "Like a tiny little lady!"

Indeed, all Bruno was wearing was a bright pink speedo. The Strongman shot Honeydew a glare as Mr. Banjo stepped in to defend him.

"Don't laugh! All strongmen wear these!" He told him. "Although, none are half as good as Bruno, of course!"

Honeydew just continued to laugh before he calmed down, wiping a tear away as he did.

"Right, right… anyway, what exactly do I get shame this bozo in?"

"Bruno's specialty is breaking things! You two will compete in the TEST OF STRENGTH!"

"Easy!" Honeydew smirked and turned to Bruno. "Now you see that I am strong, like MOOSE." He told him, imitating the Strongman's accent before he laughed again. Bruno just looked at the Dwarf as Mr. Banjo led them back over to the stage. Honeydew and Strongman_Bruno quickly stepped up and took their positions on opposite sides of the platform, and Mr. Banjo cleared his throat before he began speaking to a nonexistent crowd.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the TEST OF STRENGTH!" He announced. "Today, we have our regular champion; Strongman_Bruno!" He took a moment to add his own cheers of the crowd before continuing. "And his challenger…um, what's your name again?"

"Honeydew…"

"And his challenger, Honeydew the Dwarf!" Like before, Mr. Banjo added his own sound effects for the crowd, this time making the audience boo angrily. Honeydew just rolled his eyes.

"Rules are as followed: both Bruno and his challenger will attempt to break the same object. Whoever breaks it first scores a point! The most points at the end of the competition WINS! NO CHEATING, and FISTS ONLY. I will be the judge. Now, let us begin the TEST OF STRENGTH!"

Mr. Banjo then added more cheers before quickly stepping behind the velvet curtain, and Honeydew could hear him digging through a bunch of miscellaneous junk before he reemerged, two covered platters now balanced in his hands. He placed one on a small stand in front of both Bruno and Honeydew before lifting the covers off both simultaneously.

"Round One, CAKE!"

Honeydew looked down to see a freshly-baked cake sitting in front of him. He momentarily looked confused before he shrugged. At least this round would be easy.

"Get ready, you two! IT'S SMASHING TIME! Ready-" Both Mr. Banjo and Bruno looked over to see Honeydew's cake completely flattened, the Dwarf beaming.

"IN YOUR _FACE_!" He pointed at Bruno with a smirk. Bruno just looked at him and started laughing.

"Hah! Babby man lose!"

"Um, that was a false start." Mr. Banjo explained. Honeydew frowned.

"What?!"

"Don't worry, we have spare cake!" Banjo quickly ran backstage and grabbed another platter of cake, placing it down in front of the Dwarf. "Alright, we start on 'go' this time. Ladies and Gentlemen, it's SMASHING time! Ready…steady…GO!"

Both Bruno and Honeydew's fist went flying down towards the cake, smashing each instantly. However, Honeydew had been slightly quicker, and he smashed his cake a split second before Bruno had.

"Any round one goes to the challenger!" Mr. Banjo announced, motioning towards Honeydew. The Dwarf started to wipe off the cake frosting from his glove as he smirked over towards Bruno. The Strongman just rolled his eyes as Mr. Banjo headed backstage again.

"Round Two…" He began. Honeydew heard him grunt as he picked up something heavy, and the little man emerged from out behind the curtain again, a large stack of pumpkins in his arms.

"Pumpkins!" Mr. Banjo then dropped the stack with a sigh of relief. He took a moment to catch his breath before setting three in front of the competitors.

"Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen, it's SMASHING time! Ready…steady…GO!"

Like before, both Bruno's and Honeydew's fists when flying at the pumpkins. Honeydew smashed the first instantly, while Bruno seemed to have hit an unusually rough spot. As the Strongman finished his first pumpkin, Honeydew had already started on his second, and eventually the Dwarf had all his pumpkins smashed before Bruno did.

"Ha, not so strong compared to a dwarf, are ya'?" Honeydew taunted. Bruno just laughed at him.

"Just wait, little babby. You will soon lose."

"Alright, that's two points to the challenger and none to Bruno! How exciting! Now, on to Round Three!" Mr. Banjo began again. He did his routine walk behind the curtain before he wheeled out a rickety wooden cart. While Mr. Banjo set up, Honeydew looked over across the carnival. It was then he noticed that Madame_Nubescu had arrived to watch the competition, another cigarette between her fingers as she stood beside the stage. The Dwarf couldn't tell if she looked bored or just indifferent. He looked up over the tallest tent across the way and noticed the spires of a castle sprouting from the hill behind it.

_That must be Verigan's Hold…_

"Round Three, winner takes all!" Mr. Banjo's annoying voice caught his attention again, and Honeydew looked over to see the little man removed the tarp over the cart. His eyes widened when he saw solid chunks of stone sitting in the cart.

"Are you serious?" Honeydew asked. Mr. Banjo just nodded as Bruno laughed again.

"What's wrong? Is little babby_ scared_?"

Honeydew made a fist and looked at Mr. Banjo.

"Well, what're you waiting for? Load us up!"

Mr. Banjo nodded and picked up a chunk of stone from the cart, heaving as he slammed it in front of the Dwarf. He was about to do the same for Bruno when the Strongman stopped him.

"No, Bruno can do more." With that, the Strongman quickly set up ten stone blocks in front of him. He looked at Honeydew with another mocking smirk. "I break ten blocks by time you break one!"

"Oh, how exciting!" Mr. Banjo cried. "Alright, Ladies and Gentlemen! It's SMASHING time! This decides the winner once and for all! Now, ready…steady…GO!"

Honeydew then punched the stone chunk in front of him, and he cringed, gripping his now-sore fist for a moment. He looked over at Bruno. The Strongman gave the first block two downward punches before it split down the middle. Honeydew's eyes widened in surprise before he returned to his own block, punching as hard as he could despite the pain he felt with each impact. While Bruno had smashed three, Honeydew had barely cracked his. The two men continued to punch at the stone until it eventually came down to a split second finish; Honeydew smashed his stone block right before Bruno had finished his tenth.

"And, the winner is…" Mr. Banjo paused for dramatic effect. "…Bruno! Congratulations!"

"WHAT?!" Honeydew turned and faced the little man in surprise. "What do you mean he won? I swear a finished right before he did!"

"Ah, but he still smashed faster than you did, didn't he?" Mr. Banjo argued.

"But…But I won the first two rounds! This is bullshit!"

Bruno laughed and walked up to Honeydew, smirking again as he did. "Face it, babby man! You lose!"

Honeydew felt his hands curl into fists as he glared up at the Strongman. It was then that Honeydew noticed it appeared he was hiding something behind his back.

"Hang on, what do you have there?" The Dwarf attempted to peer around Bruno to see what he was holding, but the Strongman just turned out of the way.

"Nothing. Seeing things, little dwarf?" he asked, although Honeydew could pick up slight hesitation in his thick Russian accent.

"You have something, let me see it."

"I have nothing!"

"Gentlemen, please!" Mr. Banjo stepped in between them again. "Bruno won fair and square."

"…Wait…wait a minute…" Honeydew looked between Mr. Banjo and Bruno for a moment before he glared. "You have an invisible pickaxe, don't you? That explains how you split the stone in half by barely hitting it! Only dwarven-made picks could do such a thing! I know, _I'm one of them_! You cheated!"

"L-Let's be rational here, now-" Mr. Banjo was cut off when Honeydew punched him in the gut out of anger. Mr. Banjo groaned as the Dwarf realized what he did.

"Oh, um, sorry! Sorry about that, um...lesson learned?"

"Bruno, punch him." Mr. Banjo mumbled. Bruno glared at the Dwarf as he cracked his knuckles.

"With pleasure."

"Well, would you look at the time! I really need to get a move on! It's been fun byeee!" With that the Dwarf jumped off the stage and ran out of the carnival, passing Nubescu as he headed for a set of stone stairs that led up the hill, Verigan's Hold standing proudly just up ahead.

* * *

_Author's Note: Yay, finally got this up! I was NOT looking forward to writing this chapter, mostly because I never found this bit all that funny. I also shortened it a bit because I couldn't figure out how to fit the furnace part in. It just felt out of place while writing it. Anyway, I'm going to start working on the next chapter a little after uploading this, so it might be up later tonight. See you then!_

_~DR_


	16. Chapter 16: The Tale of the Sands

**Separated**

**Chapter 16: The Tale of the Sands**

* * *

Honeydew reached the top of the stairs and caught his breath, almost confident the carnies weren't following him. He panted a moment before standing straight, looking up at Verigan's Hold in front of him. The sun had just started to set behind the large castle as it towered above him, the tall spires decorated with a yellow flag that bore a red cross. The same symbol hung on a banner over the gate, which lay open for passing travelers, and a massive cobblestone wall stretched out from both sides of the Hold, going on for what seemed to be miles. Honeydew gave a whistle as he admired the sight.

"Now, KP told me to meet him here, right?" The Dwarf asked himself, looking around before he entered the gate. Above the entrance lay a sign.

_Verigan's Hold_

"_Even Sand cannot dull my blade" ~Verigan A._

Immediately past it was a small courtyard, planters containing various flowers lining the walls as a cobblestone path cut through the grass. In the center lay a small pool, water pouring in from a spout. A single torch lit something engraved into a plaque in front of the stone structure. Honeydew stepped closer to read it.

"_Water, blessed water! How it cools my sun-cracked skin!" ~1__st__ Templar Verigan Antioch after the Battle of Tulip._

Honeydew shrugged and continued around the pool, following the path as it lead to the entrance of the main building. He walked over to an old wooden door, pushing it open as it made a soft _creak._ The Dwarf then looked around the room. Nothing seemed to be in it, save a few tables and chairs sitting near the wooden walls, and at the center of the opposite wall was another large symbol of the red cross. A single flight of stairs led up to the upper level.

As Honeydew scanned the room, his eyes fell upon an old man standing at the center, gazing up at the symbol on the wall. His greyish-yellow clothes were torn and tattered, though the same symbol that was all over the castle was still brightly emblazoned on the back of his shirt. He was wearing armwraps that went all the way to his shoulders, and Honeydew could see his mouth was covered in a cowl when the man turned to face him.

"Hello, stranger. My nephew hoped you would come." He greeted. His voice reflected his age, and he sounded a bit like Knight_Peculier.

"Hello there." Honeydew replied with a nod and a smile, walking over towards him.

"My name is Templar_Adaephon." The man continued. "There is not much time to explain, but follow me. There is something you need to see." With that, he turned and headed up a flight of stairs. Honeydew followed, looking around the gigantic castle more as they walked. Once they reached the second level, Adaephon turned and continued up another spiral staircase in the next room. The Dwarf followed silently. Eventually, the two reached a door that lead to the roof of the room they had just been in. Adaephon led Honeydew out and continued across the roof, but the Dwarf stopped to study a pile of sand that sat by the door.

"Hey, isn't this…?" He stopped mid-sentence to run his hand through the dark sand. It looked exactly like the type he'd seen at the Nether Portals. His thoughts were broken when he heard Adaephon clear his throat. Honeydew looked up to see the old man waiting for him by the back end of the roof. Honeydew stood and walked over, and it was then he knew what Adaephon had meant to show him.

Stretching out before him was a vast desert, impossible arcs and twisted formations rolling and spiraling up over the horizon. The moon bathed the entire thing in a eerie glow, making its presence seem all the more menacing. He noticed a few monsters roaming about nearby, and larger versions of the cactus he'd found at the Cultists' Tower were scattered here and there. He stood there, mouth wide open at the sight.

"You seemed awed… but what you see before you is no ordinary desert." Adaephon began, causing Honeydew to break his attention from the view. The old man looked across the sand, expression grim. "The very sand is a disease. It corrupts and spreads to anything it touches."

"Well you could've told me that before I touched it!" Honeydew cried, gripping the hand he'd felt the sand with only moments earlier. Adaephon looked at him, and the Dwarf could see he smiled under his cowl.

"Don't worry; the desert is harmless in small exposures like that." He explained, and Honeydew sighed in relief. He turned and pointed to the backside of the wall Honeydew had seen when he had first arrived. Like the wall, the desert seemed to stretch for miles, never seeming to end.

"This wall is the world's only defense from the Sands." He continued. "If it fell, all of Minecraftia will be suffocated by the desert. This is where you come in." He turned to face Honeydew, and he cleared his throat once more before picking up where he left off.

"You see, there's recently been a breach in the wall, just south of here. My nephew went to go mend it, but he has yet to return. Please, hero, you must help him!"

"Well, of course I'll help!" Honeydew told him proudly, beaming with pride again. "Just wait; that breach will be good as new in no time!"

"That's excellent to hear." The old Templar replied with a nod. He turned and began to head back downstairs.

"Oh, before you go, you should read up on the history of Verigan and the Templars. The book you need is at the top of this tower. Just continue up the steps."

Honeydew nodded, although he mentally rolled his eyes at the fact he had to _read_. Still, he turned and walked over to the tower Templar_Adaephon had indicated, heading inside and beginning to climb the steps all the way to the top.

The room the Dwarf eventually reached was small, circular and dim. The only light source was a single window at the opposite side of the room, overlooking the cliffs, valley, and the carnival below. The light from the window stretched outward to fall across a lectern at the center of the room, and a single, purple book lay closed on top of it. Honeydew walked over and picked up the leather-bound thing, brushing a thick layer of dust off of the blank cover before he opened it.

"What? Nothing's written anywhere!" He yelled, confused and frustrated as he flipped through the empty pages. Eventually, he sighed, absently returning to the first page as he thought about what to do. Suddenly, something caught his eye, and he looked down to see words form on the blank page.

_The Tale of the Sands…_

Honeydew jumped when he heard a younger version of Adaephon's voice come from nowhere. It read what the book wrote, and the Dwarf started to back away when the book began to levitate off the lectern. Suddenly, an odd mist filled the room, and Honeydew watched as images began to appear. It was much like Nubescu's magic, but these images were larger and clearer, as if he could walk right into the scene if he tried. Adaephon's voice continued as the image in the mist changed to an airborne view of Mistral City, the buildings and Upper Level completely covered in the dark sands of the desert.

_One hundred years ago, there was a summer that never ended…_

The view of Mistral faded and zoomed in on the sports court, where two young teens were half-heartedly playing volleyball. Honeydew could recognize them as a young Fumblemore and Granny_Bacon, although they looked nothing like how they did now. While Fumblemore wore similar robes to the ones the Dwarf had last seen him in, his hair was raven black and kept short, save for a small part the fell over his right eye. Granny_Bacon had long red hair and wore a simple brown dress. That was all Honeydew could observe before the scene shifted as Adaephon continued.

_Raw heat parched the farmlands, and wells ran dry. The people of Minecraftia had begun to die from hunger and thirst._

The mist was now showing the inside of an old wooden warehouse, beds lining the walls. All were empty save for two. In one lay a man while the other rested an old, rusted robot. Honeydew raised a brow at this, but the scene faded before he could see more.

_Animals died by the blistering sands, blowing waist-deep across the land. It was then that the people of Minecraftia decided to fight back._

Fumblemore was now sitting in the sand-covered main square of Mistral, cradling a sick-looking dog in his arms. Granny Bacon stood bent over beside him, apparently comforting the young wizard. The two were surrounded by a few others, and Honeydew recognized one man as Templar_Adaephon, then looking to be in his late twenties. The group looked over as two others stepped into view. They resembled each other closely, despite one being much older than the other. The first, a middle-aged bald man with a beard to challenge Honeydew's and a scar across his blind left eye, spoke something to the ragtag group in front of him. They stared at him for a moment before they all smiled, and the middle-aged man smiled in return as the scene faded. It was replaced by the sight of The Wall and Verigan's Hold, the two men that had walked onto the scene just a moment before now staring out over the desert.

_Led by a man named Verigan, the people then built The Wall. Its magic fought back against the Sands and kept it at bay. The people of Minecraftia began to thrive again, but a terrible evil soon made itself known…_

The two men, the older one apparently the fabled Verigan, were now marching proudly across the desert, soon disappearing from view as they continued down a slope.

_Verigan Antioch and his son, Karpath Antioch, then began their voyage across the desert to slay the beast that threatened the world before sealing it under the desert._

The scene of the slope Verigan and Karpath had disappeared past stayed, and the sun high in the sky suddenly shifted to where it barely peeked over the horizon. Karpath limped over the slope now, alone and clutching a wound in his side as he let his sword drag behind him.

_Unfortunately, Verigan had been killed in the final battle, and his son was left terribly wounded. In memory of Verigan's bravery, the outpost at The Wall was named Verigan's Hold, and after recovering, Karpath founded the Crimson Cross. The Templars that served it now stood to defend The Wall with their lives, in case the evil of the Sands ever returned._

The scene in the mist changed again, and Karpath now stood in the highest tower of Verigan's Hold. Although his face was hidden by a helmet, Honeydew could tell he was frowning. He placed a single rose on top of a memorial grave for Verigan before he turned and ran down the stairs, disappearing from sight.

_What happened next is still shrouded in mystery. Less than a month after the Crimson Cross was established, Karpath disappeared without a trace. The Templars still await his return. Signed, Templar_Adaephon._

With that, the mist suddenly dispersed, and the book slowly closed before it came to rest on the lectern again. Honeydew stood there for a moment, staring at the odd book in awe.

"Why can't that happen every time I read a something?" he asked, turning to head back downstairs. He quickly went over everything he'd just learned as he made his way back towards the Hold's exit, passing Templar_Adaephon on the way. The old man didn't seem to notice, too engrossed in a book he was reading. Honeydew made his way past the gate and started to follow the path south. If the book was right and he breach in the wall wasn't fixed soon, the world would be in big, big trouble.

* * *

Israphel sighed, leaning back in his throne. Creeper_Boss still sat behind him loyally, watching his master drum his pale fingers on the armrest. The Dark Lord then summoned an orb in one of his hands, peering into it. He watched as the image of Xephos cut a zombie in half, annoyance obvious on the Spaceman's face. Israphel sighed again and dismissed the orb, Creeper_Boss looking concerned.

"You'd think our little Spaceman would've done something interesting by now." Israphel mumbled. He leaned his head on his arm as he continued to drum his fingers on the armrest. "This is all too easy, and not even half as interesting as Verigan had been."

"Haven't you been planning to turn ssssquids into the embodiment of all things annoying and bothersssome?" Creeper_Boss asked. "Maybe that would prove entertaining…"

"Tried it. All they seem to do is yell and follow this one poor soul around." Israphel replied. Just then, a zombie pigman entered the room, and it spoke something in odd squeals and grunts after bowing before the Dark Lord and his pet. Israphel raised a brow.

"So that blabbering idiot really_ did _manage to kill John?" he asked. The pigman nodded nervously. "…I see. What a pity. You're dismissed."

The pigman quickly hurried out of the room, and Israphel leaned back in his throne, tapping his chin. Creeper_Boss looked down at him.

"What're you thinking about, Masster?" He hissed the question. Israphel didn't respond immediately, his brow furrowing as he pieced together another plan.

"The Dwarf is at Verigan's Hold now, correct?" He asked, glancing up towards his pet behind him. Creeper_Boss nodded.

"Lassst time we checked he was, Masster."

"And when was that?"

"Only a few hourssss ago."

Israphel smirked as he stood up from his throne, placing his hands behind his back as he began to descend the steps in front of him. The giant creeper immediately followed as Israphel spoke up.

"Well then, I think it's about time we and Zombie_Boss pay him a visit."

* * *

_Quick Announcement: Gah, I feel stupid! I just realized that back in Chapter 13 I left out the part where Honeydew finds the map fragment! I've already added the part, so feel free to go back and reread the chapter if you feel like it. Good thing I remembered, right? :P_

_~DR_

_P.S. Anyone catch an (obvious) reference somewhere in here?_


	17. Chapter 17: Battle at the Breach pt 1

**Separated**

**Chapter 17: Battle at the Breach (part 1)**

* * *

Honeydew walked down the stone path silently, kicking along a pebble as he did. He'd been walking for a good ten minutes now, and The Wall beside him continued to go on and on, its end nowhere in sight. The terrain here was odd; parts of the ground were covered in snow, but right beside it would be healthy patches of grass and greenery. Figuring not to question it further, Honeydew just walked down the small road, his thoughts wandering to places he wished they hadn't. Finally, the path ended when it reached a tunnel entrance dug into a small hill, blocked off with iron doors and chains. The Dwarf stepped closer to read the sign above the entrance.

_TUNNEL ACCESS_

_Closed until further notice_

Honeydew looked the entrance again, part of him wanting to break it open while the other wanted to leave it be. Suddenly, a low moan caught his attention, and he turned to see if a zombie had snuck up on him. There was no undead, but he heard it again. Honeydew looked up past the tunnel entrance and made out the shape of a crumbling watchtower just over the hill, the rising sun's light making the dark stone easier to see.

"Morning already?" He asked himself, looking over towards the horizon as he walked off the path, going around the tunnel entrance before continuing up the slope. As the light grew brighter, Honeydew could make out more of the tower in front of him. It was very old; much older than the first tower he and the others had visited in Mistral. A giant spider or two could be seen scuttling around through holes in the wall, and a good section of its base had crumbled away. It appeared that a tree had even started to grow out from the moss-ridden top. Leaning against the tree was Knight_Peculier, moaning as he gripped a wound in his right arm.

"KP? Hey, KP! Are you alright?" Honeydew called up. He could see the knight shift to look down at him.

"Hero, it's good to see yo- look out!"

Just then, Honeydew felt an arrow whizz by his head, barely missing him by an inch. Startled, Honeydew turned and reached for his pickaxe. Next to the tower KP was in, a large portion of The Wall had been destroyed, and the Sands had already started to pour in and creep its way out. This must've been the breach Templar_Adaephon had mentioned. The Dwarf's eyes shifted upwards towards the top of the giant sand pile to see Israphel standing there, flanked by both Creeper_Boss and Zombie_Boss. Israphel had already notched another arrow in his odd purple bow, large thorns sticking out from the shaft. Honeydew barely had time to duck behind a mound of dirt before the demon fired, the arrow flying right where his head would've been. Honeydew swore and quickly dug through his bag, pulling out the small crossbow he'd received from the storeroom back in Mistral. He quickly loaded a crossbow bolt and peeked over the mound, ready to fire the first chance he got. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw that both Creeper_Boss and Zombie_Boss had disappeared, and he saw that Israphel was smirking at him.

_Where the bugger did those two go?!_

Suddenly, his question was answered. A large explosion came from The Wall next to him, and the Dwarf was thrown back a couple of feet, hitting the hard ground with a_ thud. _He quickly sat up and saw Zombie_Boss shambling toward him. Creeper_Boss was standing back to recover from the explosion he had just caused. Honeydew quickly stood and grabbed his pickaxe before taking a swing at the zombie. He wasn't much larger than a regular zombie, but he was certainly much faster. He dodged Honeydew's attack and swung at the Dwarf with his bloodstained sword. Honeydew blocked and pushed the blood-covered zombie back, and he noticed for the first time that Zombie_Boss was wearing a ragged Templar uniform. Their weapons clashed again before Honeydew swept a leg to trip his opponent, and Zombie_Boss stumbled back with a groan. He was then silenced after Honeydew's pick slashed him twice across the chest, ruining the Templar uniform even more.

The Dwarf then turned his attention over to Creeper_Boss. The gigantic creeper had recovered from its previous explosion, but he stayed close to The Wall, hissing as he waited for the Dwarf to make a move. Honeydew pulled out the straightsword before he charged at Creeper_Boss. The creeper seemed to smirk as he countered Honeydew's attack by grabbing the sword, the blade barely making a cut on his unnatural hand. Honeydew then felt himself get lifted off the ground, and a soft hissing followed before Creeper_Boss exploded again.

Honeydew yelled as he hit the stone wall, and the Dwarf then fell face forward. He caught himself after stumbling a bit, and his ears were still ringing from being right next to such a powerful blast.

"How I survived that, I've no idea…" He mumbled, still a bit woozy from the whole experience. The armor he had been wearing had been ruined, and it had popped right off on impact with the wall, the bits of metal no longer able to stay together. Reduced to his standard gear, Honeydew took a moment to look around. Smoke and sand had started to settle, and Creeper_Boss was nowhere to be seen. Upon closer inspection, Honeydew noticed a few bits and pieces of the creeper's greenish-brown flesh scattered around. It appeared that he could blow up twice before his body was destroyed by the explosion, unlike any other creepers. Honeydew sighed in relief.

"At least he's go- OH GOD!"

Honeydew quickly held up his sword and deflected another of Israphel's arrows. The Dark Lord had come back around the other side of The Wall, backing up under a nearby arch of sand. He summoned another one of his obsidian-tipped arrows with his magic before he grabbed it and notched it. He then aimed for the Dwarf and fired with chilling speed and accuracy. Honeydew dodged, the arrow striking the stone behind him as he ran out to confront the demon. Israphel simply waited for the Dwarf to approach, and he disappeared in a puff of black smoke right when Honeydew's pickaxe would've collided with his head. Honeydew looked around and noticed him appear on a plateau far across the desert. The two simply stared at each other before Honeydew slowly turned and made his way back through the breach, not realizing that Zombie_Boss' corpse and the remains of Creeper_Boss had disappeared from where he'd left them…

"You still up there, KP?" He called up towards the top of the ruined tower. After a moment, he heard Knight_Peculier groan before he responded.

"Yes, I'm here, but I'm a bit wounded. You'll have to head up here. I don't think I can move yet…"

Honeydew sighed before he made his way around the base of the tower. A rotting wooden post had been placed to keep a section of the wall from collapsing, but it now served little purpose. Beside the post was the crumbling doorframe. The Dwarf then began to make his way up the remains of the stairs, kicking off any giant spider that blocked his way as he climbed. Soon, he reached the top, and Honeydew quickly rushed over to Knight_Peculier before kneeling beside him.

"A skeleton ambushed me when I first set out to mend The Wall." KP explained, gripping the bloody wound in his right arm again. "I managed to take shelter here before it could do anything else."

"Hang on. I think I have something that will help…" Honeydew started to dig through his bag before he pulled out a small strand of cloth. With quick hands, he tied the cloth around Knight_Peculier's wound, the knight cringing in the process. After KP had been tended to, Honeydew turned his attention to the wound Reverend_John had given him. It had healed by itself for the most part, and he doubted it would give him any more trouble. Besides, he didn't have enough cloth to wrap it anyway.

After resting a few more minutes, KP managed to stand, and the two men turned to stare at the breach before them. Honeydew took into account how big it was for the first time; it split The Wall from top to bottom, and it looked like more of it would collapse if it wasn't repaired soon. Also, Creeper_Boss had caused another decent-sized hole as well. Honeydew sighed before he looked at KP.

"So, how do we fix it?"

"There's an old storehouse nearby. It's filled with just what we need. I'll go grab some materials while you start digging out the base. We have to get a start before Israphel and his minions return."

"Right!"

The two then began to make their way down the precarious steps of the tower until they reached solid ground. Honeydew walked back over to the large mound of sand as KP began to head over to a nearby stone hut, presumably the storehouse he had mentioned. Honeydew placed his bag down beside The Wall before he pulled out a shovel and began digging, absently starting another verse of _Diggy Diggy Hole _again. Meanwhile, Knight_Peculier had started wheeling out large wheelbarrows filled with many blocks and chunks of sturdy cobblestone, the same type The Wall had been constructed out of. The two men worked for hours, KP eventually starting to help the Dwarf dig after he'd cleared the storeroom of supplies. Eventually, both had managed to clear most of the sand away, the ruined base of The Wall finally beginning to be revealed.

Honeydew leaned his shovel against part of The Wall as he wiped his brow. He looked over to the large pile of cobblestone that KP had laid out. It was then he noticed something was missing.

"Hey, KP, how're we going to mend the breach if we don't have cement?" He asked, looking over towards the knight. KP just smiled in response.

"You see, hero, The Wall is infused with a magical power. It'll do the mending for us. Watch!" He then walked over to the pile and picked up a good-sized chunk of cobblestone. Next, he hauled it over to part of The Wall and placed it down. There was a small sizzling sound before the edges of the cobblestone merged with the rest of The Wall, looking like it had been part of it the whole time.

"Wow..." Honeydew gasped. "This'll make things go by fast! We should have this done in no time!"

KP smiled again, and the two began to work on fixing the breach. By the time they'd repaired most of the base, the sun had started to dip below the horizon again. Honeydew had just placed the first few blocks of The Wall's frame when he heard Knight_Peculier cry out.

"They attack with the night!"

The two barely had time to duck when more of Israphel's arrows were sent flying towards them. Honeydew peaked out from behind The Wall to see Israphel standing on top of a dune a little ways ahead of them, a reformed Creeper_Boss and Zombie_Boss quickly making their way down for an attack. Honeydew and KP shared a look before they quickly started piling the cobblestone onto The Wall's newly formed frame, managing to build it up a few more feet before they readied their weapons. Honeydew readied his crossbow and took a shot at Zombie_Boss. The zombie groaned as the bolt struck him in the head, and he stumbled back as Creeper_Boss pushed past him. The creeper's empty eye sockets met with Honeydew's eyes briefly before the Dwarven man shot him in the chest. Creeper_Boss hissed in pain and gripped his wound, glaring up at the Dwarf before he smirked. Honeydew raised a brow before he heard KP cry out beside him. The Dwarf looked over to see his friend get grabbed by Zombie_Boss, some of the zombie's blood dripping onto the knight as he gripped KP by the collar. The zombie had already raised his sword to deal the finishing blow when Honeydew's pickaxe collided with his skull. Zombie_Boss groaned again and dropped Knight_Peculier, who quickly grabbed his iron rapier and stabbed the zombie through the chest.

"Well, that takes care of that." KP muttered, watching as Zombie_Boss fell and tumbled down towards the sand. Honeydew nodded before he dodged another one of Israphel's arrows. He looked over across the desert.

"Oh shit, where did the creeper go?!"

"Look out!"

Hearing KP's warning, Honeydew quickly turned around just in time to see Creeper_Boss blow up again. Both he and KP were pushed against The Wall, and parts of the stone structure crumbled away from the blast. Honeydew groaned as he heard Knight_Peculier stand.

"You alright, hero?" he asked.

"Yeah, fine. Where'd he go?"

"I'm not sure, but it doesn't look like he's died yet."

Honeydew sighed before he stood and looked around.

"How do they keep getting back here?" He asked, surveying the area again. A few more of Israphel's arrows soared overhead, causing the two to duck behind The Wall's frame again. KP got up and made his way to grab some more cobblestone when Honeydew saw him point at something.

"Wait, over there! The breach Creeper_Boss made earlier!"

Honeydew felt like slapping himself. How on Minecraftia could he have forgotten that?

"Oh, hell's bells! Look, you keep an eye out for the creeper. I'll go fix the other breach." He called to KP as he ran past. The knight nodded and readied his sword, turning back towards The Wall. Honeydew quickly piled some cobblestone into a wheelbarrow and pushed it over to the other breach, and the Dwarf soon began to patch it up. Fortunately, only a small portion of The Wall had been damaged by Creeper_Boss' explosions, so Honeydew managed to repair it almost immediately. The Dwarf wiped his brow again. He had turned to return to KP when he heard the knight shout in surprise, another explosion soon following. Honeydew grabbed both his pickaxe and the straightsword off of his belt before rushing back over to the breach. KP was lying against The Wall, groaning and covered in a few minor burns from the heat of the explosion. Around him were more chunks of flesh from Creeper_Boss, and the area was still covered in a thin layer of smoke and gunpowder.

"KP, are you alright?" Honeydew asked, rushing over to the knight's side. KP groaned before he gave a nod, and Honeydew helped him stand before they surveyed the damage.

Another part of The Wall had been destroyed, more sand pouring back over to the other side. The two looked over to see Israphel notching another arrow, a few skeletal archers now by his side. Honeydew and Knight_Peculier ducked behind the wall again.

"How the hell can this get _any _worse?" Honeydew asked, throwing his hands in the air for a moment. As if to answer his question, a chorus of hissing sounded from behind him and KP. The two turned to see another mass of giant spiders staring at them, red eyes shining with intense hunger and bloodlust.

"…Fuck."

"Run for it!"

With that, Honeydew and KP forgot all about The Wall, Israphel, and the rest of his minions as they ran for the storehouse. The spiders chased after them, and the two barely managed to get through and close the door without the arachnids following them inside.

Israphel smirked as he watched the two heroes flee, strapping his odd, twisted bow to his back as he did. He motioned for the skeletons to lower their weapons, and they obeyed instantly. He could so easily kill them now, storm the storeroom and rip their throats open. But the Dark Lord simply turned away and continued back down the dune, his skeletal archers following behind him.

_Not yet,_ he thought. _There's still so much more fun to be had._


	18. Chapter 18: Battle at the Breach pt 2

**Separated**

**Chapter 18: Battle at the Breach (Part 2)**

* * *

Honeydew slammed the door shut right as the first spider caught up to them. It was such a close call that one of the spider's legs got caught and cut off by the door as it slammed shut. Honeydew and Knight_Peculier heard it scream in pain before the scuttling sounds from outside died away. The two sighed in relief as they sat down, both men trying to catch their breath.

"So, um…" Honeydew began after an awkward silence. "Are you hurt bad anywhere?"

"It doesn't seem so." KP replied, quickly looking himself over. "You?"

"Nope."

"Then I guess we can wait until morning before we begin repairs again."

Honeydew nodded, and there was another awkward silence between the two. Eventually, KP spoke up again.

"While we wait, you should tell me what you found in the crumbling ruins." He said, looking at Honeydew expectantly. The Dwarf raised a brow before his eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, the Cultist Tower? Well, um…" He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Well, for starters, Granny_Bacon is dead."

"Granny is dead? That is grave news." KP replied, leaning back against the wall as his arms crossed over his chest. Honeydew nodded in agreement.

"They turned her into a zombie." The Dwarf continued. "I had to…put her out of her misery."

"I'm sorry, Honeydew. I know you two were close." KP told him, frowning. "Anything else?"

Honeydew took a moment to think.

"Well, then I found and killed Reverend_John…again. Hopefully he stays put this time. Also, there were two more Nether Portals; one broken, one new. I got rid of the new one."

"I see. Interesting news indeed…"

Suddenly, Honeydew remembered something. "Oh, that's right! Hang on a sec…" He quickly dug through his bag and pulled out the odd map fragment he found in John's possession. He handed it to KP. "Can you make anything of this?"

KP silently started to look the fragment over, and his eyes soon widened in realization.

"My word! It's obviously a map fragment, but I think I recognize this one…" He began, briefly looking the paper over again. "Where it leads…I cannot tell. We must show this to my Uncle Adaephon when we get the chance."

"Ah yes, your uncle!" Honeydew replied, having forgotten of the Templar for a moment. "How old is he anyway?"

"Much older than I…" KP replied. His tone made him sound as if he didn't know the answer himself. "Anyway, did anything else happen?"

"Um, let's see…I left the tower and saw Israphel up near The Skull over by Mistral, and-" He stopped when the image of Creeper-Xephos came crawling back into his mind, and he became visually uncomfortable. "…I don't really want to talk about the rest."

"I understand." KP replied after a moment. Honeydew just shrugged before he remembered something else.

"Oh yeah, I met this fortune teller lady. She told me to tell you that…uh…uhhh…" He suddenly had a feeling that he'd regret telling the knight about his family secrets.

"Go on, about what?"

"Uh…I forget! If it's important I'll remember eventually."

This earned him a face palm from KP. The knight sighed before he looked over at the Dwarf again.

"Did this fortune teller say anything else?" He asked.

"Well, she said I'd get bacon sometime soon." Honeydew replied, stroking his beard as he thought. "I also asked her if she could tell me anything about Xephos. She said he's still in danger, but he managed to escape the Nether by the sounds of it."

"Well, I guess that's one type of good news, although it isn't the best." Knight_Peculier responded, nodding slightly. "Hopefully we reunite with him soon."

"Agreed…" Honeydew said before he yawned. He removed his bag from his back and set it down to use as a pillow. "Well, guess we should be gettin' some shuteye, then. Night, KP."

"Goodnight, hero." The knight responded, shifting to lay down as well. Soon, he fell asleep, and Honeydew heard him shift every once and awhile. Again, the Dwarf's mind was plagued with unpleasant thoughts of Xephos and the breach. He sighed, wondering how the Spaceman was doing before he too drifted into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

The next morning, Honeydew woke with a start when he felt Knight_Peculier prodding his side. Giving a few incoherent mumbles, the Dwarf sat up and stretched.

"Let's go, Honeydew. It seems we overslept." The knight told him, turning back to the many chests lining the storehouse walls. KP started looking through them again as Honeydew stood, the Dwarf giving another yawn as he did.

"Overslept, huh?" He asked. "Just how late did we oversleep?"

"It appears to be about noon." KP replied, glancing over his shoulder as he continued to dig through the chest. After a moment, the knight pulled out a few ladders, some collapsible to fit into small places while others were simply made of rope. He tossed two to Honeydew, who caught them after fumbling a bit.

"We'll need these once we start to build The Wall higher. We have four ladders in total. Now come on, we've wasted enough time already!" He explained, carrying the other two as he made his way out the door. Honeydew gave a nod and followed, both heading back over to the breach. They set the ladders down by the pile of cobblestone, and both men turned to examine the breach again. They still had a long way to go.

"Wait… oh gods, here they come already!" Honeydew suddenly cried. The Dwarf pointed over to the dune Israphel had been standing on last night, and sure enough, the demon was there again. He was so pale the sunlight seemed to reflect off of his skin, and his red eyes were fixed on the two below him. Zombie_Boss and Creeper_Boss stood beside him, resurrected once again. In one fluent motion, the Dark Lord unstrapped his mighty bow from his back and pointed down at the two, signaling for his minions to charge again. Both the creeper and zombie did so, and Israphel summoned another arrow to his hand before taking aim again. Honeydew sighed.

"And here we go again."

With that, Honeydew pulled out his crossbow and started to shoot at the two approaching threats, Creeper_Boss especially. Almost all of his shots hit their target; Creeper_Boss was easy to hit, his hulking body slowing him down, while Zombie_Boss managed to avoid a bolt or two. The Dwarf heard KP unfold one of the collapsible ladders before he began to repair The Wall, somehow managing to carry large blocks of cobblestone up the ladder with him.

As the knight continued work on the frame, Honeydew kept keeping Creeper_Boss and Zombie_Boss at bay. A few times the monsters fell to the sand, dead or dying, before Israphel revived them with a wave of his hand. Honeydew kept firing until one of Israphel's arrows managed to strike him in the shoulder, and the Dwarf cried out in pain before falling back off The Wall. It was a short fall, but it was enough to knock the wind out of him. After regaining his senses, the Dwarf sat up and yanked the arrow out of his shoulder. He cringed. The arrowhead was designed to damage the muscle when removed, much like what a porcupine's quill did to predators. He ignored his injury for now and noticed KP was climbing down the ladder to meet him.

"Are you alright, hero?" He asked, clear worry on his face. Honeydew gave a nod and hoisted himself to his feet, picking up his crossbow off the ground beside him.

"I'll be fine…" He managed to get out, applying pressure to his wound again. "Damn it! If I pass out from blood loss we're royally screwed."

"I don't understand why this section of The Wall has been crumbling so easily." KP began, unsheathing his iron rapier as he began to climb up the ladder again. Zombie_Boss had somehow managed to scale the current foundation (Creeper_Boss had most likely given him a lift), and the zombie was quickly knocked off by a few of the knight's expert jabs and slashes.

"Go back from where you came from, foul beasts!" He called over The Wall. He quickly ducked under the cobblestone before another of Israphel's arrows could skewer him through the chest. Honeydew heard him mutter a few curses under his breath before the knight looked down at him.

"As I was saying, The Wall's magic is supposed to make the stone impenetrable. I don't understand why- wait!" KP suddenly looked up towards his left, eyes fixed on a watchtower built into the wall. "That's it! The beacon!"

"What about it?" Honeydew asked. The two then heard another hissing sound on the other side of The Wall. KP then quickly turned and stabbed downward over the edge. This hissing was cut short.

"The beacon isn't lit!" KP continued, calling down over his shoulder. "The beacons along the top of The Wall strengthen its magic! That must be why this portion of The Wall is so weak!"

"Why didn't you bloody say so earlier!?" Honeydew yelled. He tossed his crossbow and a bag of bolts up to the knight. KP caught the weapon as the bolts landed at his feet. "You hold them off while I go lite it!"

"Watch out for arrows, friend!" KP called, watching the Dwarf grab a ropeladder before running out of sight. As KP returned his focus to the battle, Honeydew had run around the back of The Wall, looking for a certain part in the stone structure. Suddenly, he saw it; a sturdy section of cobblestone near the top. Unlooping his pickaxe from his belt, he tied the ropeladder to the tool before giving it a well-aimed toss up towards the top of The Wall. The pick reached its target, striking the flat surface of The Wall's highest point. It dragged a bit before snagging on the stone Honeydew had scouted earlier.

Giving the rope a few tugs to make sure it was stable, the Dwarf then began to climb his way up. He heard rounds of arrows and crossbow bolts being fired back and forth to his left, the sounds of battle never dying down. Honeydew reached the top and was nearly knocked off by another of Israphel's arrows. It flew by his head, and he had lost his balance out of surprise. Managing to steady himself, Honeydew then made a break for the beacon tower, avoiding any more of the Dark Lord's obsidian arrows as he did. There was another ladder that led up to the room the beacon itself rested in. The Dwarf quickly scaled it and entered the beacon room.

At the center of the circular space was what resembled a large lantern, a glass frame protecting the fuel inside. Instead of oil, there was an odd nozzle inside the glass, and Honeydew recognized it was run by gas. Honeydew began to search the room until he found the switch that turned on the gas. He then ran over to the beacon and lifted the hatch, readying his Flint and Steel. With an expert flick, the beacon came alight, but that's when Honeydew realized he had turned the gas on a _little _too strong.

"Oh, shi-"

Before he could finish, a small explosion erupted from inside the room, sending Honeydew through a window and back onto the top of The Wall. The Dwarf grunted as he hit the solid stone, his breath suddenly forced out of him again. Groaning, the Dwarf sat up and reached for his head. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another of Israphel's arrows flying towards him. Honeydew could only gulp and block his face as he waited for it to impale him.

But to his surprise, it didn't.

Honeydew looked up when it sounded as though the arrow had bounced off of something. An invisible barrier had formed along the other side of The Wall, only visible for a second when the arrow caused a ripple on the smooth surface. Honeydew stood as another arrow tried to strike him, the second following the first. He smirked when he saw Israphel glaring up at him, annoyance obvious on his grim features. Honeydew then looked past the beacon tower and saw Zombie_Boss try to strike The Wall with his sword. His body then shook as if he had been electrocuted, and the zombie fell back onto the sand, stunned. Creeper_Boss, standing next to the zombie, seemed to face palm at Zombie_Boss' stupidity.

"The beacon doesn't have to be _that _bright." Honeydew heard KP call up to him. The Dwarf looked back at the beacon in front of him. The beacon itself remained intact, but part of the roof had caught fire from the explosion. Honeydew just shrugged before turning back to Israphel.

"Ha! Kiss my ass, you pale little bitch!" He cried, flashing Israphel the finger as he did. The Dark Lord showed no response, waiting for Creeper_Boss to return with Zombie_Boss in tow. The two creatures passed over the dune, and Israphel gave one final glare up to Honeydew before he followed his minions over the sand, disappearing from sight.

Honeydew grinned as he made his way back down the ladder, managing to tug his pickaxe loose after safely climbing down. The Dwarf then ran over to where he had left Knight_Peculier. KP was waiting for him, leaning on The Wall as he wiped his brow.

"We did it, KP! Now them sons of bitches won't be bothering us anymore." Honeydew said as he approached, still beaming with pride. KP looked up at him and smiled.

"Aye, but we still have lots of work ahead of us." He replied, handing Honeydew the crossbow before picking up another chunk of cobblestone from the pile. "C'mon, if we start now we can finish by nightfall."

With that, the two men began work on The Wall, slowly building higher and higher until they reached the top. Honeydew placed the final block before he wiped his brow, panting slightly as he did.

"Well, that certainly was more trouble than it was worth…" He muttered, glad the job was finally done. KP stood beside him, panting as well.

"I suppose we head back to Verigan's Hold. Uncle Adaephon will be glad to hear The Wall has been mended." He turned from watching the sun slip under the Sands before turning away from Honeydew, continuing back down the top of the gigantic stone structure. "Come, we can take the top back."

Honeydew nodded before he followed, he and KP beginning the silent ten-minute tread back towards Verigan's Hold. Once the Hold was in sight, The Wall began to slope down towards the ground, allowing the two easy access into the Hold's garden. Both KP and Honeydew then strode into the Hold's main hall. Templar_Adaephon looked up from his reading.

"Ah, you've made it back! I'm glad you both still live. Is the breach mended?" He asked, closing his book and placing it down on the table beside him. KP nodded with a small smile.

"Yes, uncle. Sorry it took so long." He replied. Adaephon nodded before he looked over at Honeydew, noticing his shoulder wound for the first time.

"Oh my, that looks like it hurts. Sit down and I'll bandage it for you." The old man told him. Honeydew absently reached for his wound before he complied.

"Thanks, man. It'll help a lot." He replied.

As Adaephon grabbed some bandages off a nearby shelf and began to patch up Honeydew's injury, KP began to explain what exactly happened at the breach. The Templar nodded now and then as he listened silently.

"It seems you two have been through a lot." Adaephon said after his nephew had finished. Honeydew glanced over his shoulder to look up at the Templar.

"A reward would be nice. Ya'know, if you have one."

"Honeydew!"

"Sorry! Sorry."

KP sighed as Adaephon seemed to smile under his cowl again. Suddenly, the old man's expression darkened, and he looked over at the knight as he finished wrapping Honeydew's wound.

"Peculier, do you feel it?" He asked, tucking his hands behind his back. Honeydew watched his friend give a nod, his own expression darkening as well.

"Yes. The evil presence under the desert." He replied.

"Ahh, I thought so. Then it is as I feared…"

"Ya'know, it always has to be an _evil _presence, now doesn't it?" Honeydew broke in. "I mean, why can't happiness and joy try taking over the world for once? 'Oh no! The rainbow unicorns are attacking! Hurry before they shower us with candy and sprinkles!'" The Dwarf rolled his eyes before he noticed the two in front of him shooting him a look. "Ahem, sorry. Please continue."

"How can we possibly stop it again, now that Verigan and Karpath are gone?" KP asked his uncle, another grim expression lining his features. Templar_Adaephon sighed.

"I wish I knew. If only we had the map to guide us this time…"

"Hang on a minute, did you say 'map'?" Honeydew asked. KP looked at him before realization dawned on his face. The knight slapped his forehead.

"Of course! That's why it looked familiar!" He cried. He removed the map fragment from his pocket before he handed it to Adaephon. "Here, Uncle. Honeydew found this while taking care of a Cultist problem."

The old Templar took it and examined the odd paper, his eyes soon widening in surprise.

"By gods, this is the very map we need!" He cried. "Unfortunately, it's only a quarter of it." He looked over at the two adventurers in front of him. "It looks like you two will have to go out and fetch the rest."

"Fuck." Honeydew muttered under his breath. "I hate fetch quests."

"Where do we begin?" KP asked.

"I'm afraid I do not know. I thought it was lost in time!" Adaephon replied. "You're going to have to ask one much older and wiser than I."

"Who is so old? And uh…wise?" KP asked. He sounded uncertain, as if he doubted anyone could even get that old. Adaephon tapped his chin as he thought.

"Um... Arch-Warlock Bimple? Grand Magus Jellophanes?" Adaephon listed off. "I'm not sure if they still live, to be frank."

"I don't think they do. They borrowed Fumblemore's spellbook." Knight_Peculier replied, crossing his arms across his chest. Honeydew suddenly straightened.

"Wait a minute. Fumblemore! Can't he help?"

Adaephon gave the Dwarf a look, as if he thought he was crazy. Realizing that he was serious, the old man burst out laughing.

"Fumblemore?! Ha! That mad idiot would be absolutely no help! His brain's gone softer than jelly." He replied, still laughing. Honeydew glared in response.

"Hey, that 'mad idiot' saved KP's life only a few days ago!" He replied. "Show some respect."

Seeing that he had offended the Dwarf, Adaephon regained his composure before he pulled at his collar nervously.

"Oh. T-Then I guess the old man had regained some of his sense. I apologize." He replied. Honeydew smirked, basking in his victory for a moment before the Templar continued.

"We need someone who is in tune with the magic of the map. I don't think Fumblemore fits that description." He began, glancing down at the map fragment once more. He then handed it back to Honeydew, who quickly tucked it into his bag. "You two are welcome to stay the night. You must be awfully tired. Guest bedrooms are right through that door." He pointed towards the door he referred to as he began to walk up the stairs.

"Good luck, heroes. The fate of Minecraftia is in your hands alone."

Honeydew watched as the old man exited through another door, softly shutting it behind him. He and KP shared a look before they left for the bedrooms, the same thought filling their heads.

_It's not just us. There's one more, if we find him._

* * *

Israphel walked across the desert silently, Creeper_Boss still the dragging the unconscious Zombie_Boss along behind him. The gigantic creeper was unnerved by his master's silence. Usually, he would've said something after such a defeat.

"Masster? Are you alright?" Creeper_Boss asked. Israphel glanced over his shoulder to look at him, still walking along as he did.

"Oh yes, I'm quite alright. No need to worry about me, underling." The Dark Lord replied, quickly looking forward again. Creeper_Boss only grew more concerned.

"You're not upset about the losssss?" He hissed. Israphel looked over his shoulder again, chuckling a bit.

"Oh underling, I never planned to win that battle anyway." He replied, looking forward again. "Now, storming The Wall and beating those two within an inch of their life, yes. _That _I would've liked to do, but you can't have everything, now can you?" Creeper_Boss listened as his master continued on and on. "This was all just a little exercise to get the blood pumping. We may have lost the battle, be we certainly won't lose the war. Does that make sense, underling?"

"I guessss…" The creeper replied, a little uncertain. He adjusted his grip on Zombie_Boss' leg, and the zombie moaned as he started to regain his senses. Suddenly, Israphel stopped and turned towards his pet, red eyes glowing bright in the darkness.

"Oh, that reminds me. Did you pick up the items I requested earlier?" He asked. Creeper_Boss nodded and showed Israphel a small bag he'd been keeping on him somewhere. The Dark Lord took it and untied the string keeping the little leather sack closed, and yellow-orange light shone bright from its contents as he peered inside. Israphel smirked before he tied the bag closed again, killing the light that erupted from inside.

"Perfect. We'll make good use of those later." He said, continuing to trek across odd, sandy wasteland again. "They're a key part of my master plan, after all."

"But how will little glowing rodssss help at all?" Creeper_Boss asked, following his master loyally.

"You'll see, underling, you'll see."


	19. Chapter 19: More Behind the Map

**Separated**

**Chapter 19: More Behind the Map**

* * *

The next morning, Honeydew was awoken by a ray of sunlight as it shone through the window. He groaned and was about to roll over when he felt KP prodding at his side again.

"We should get going." He said, turning back to packing up his stuff. Honeydew just groaned again, rolling onto his back.

"How the hell do you people get up so early?" He muttered, grabbing and placing his iron helm over his face to block the sun. "For once I'd like to sleep for more than a couple of hours, thank you very much!"

"You can sleep _after _we save the world." KP replied, annoyance starting to brim on his voice. After a bit, Honeydew mumbled something under his breath before getting up and getting ready.

"Fine. Now what are we supposed to do again?"

"You're going to have to find someone that can tell us more about the map." KP replied, a frown beginning to make his way onto his face as he spoke.

"Right, right, so where do we- Wait, wait, wait…" He looked at the knight with a raised brow. "What's this 'you' business all about?"

KP sighed, reaching for his neck awkwardly as he continued.

"I have unfinished business to attend to. I'm sorry, but it looks like we'll have to part ways again."

"What? Again?"

"Yes. I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience."

Honeydew sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he did. "Alright. I guess I can manage on my own for a bit. Good luck with…whatever you're doing."

"Same goes for you. I hope you and Xephos will reunite with each other as well." KP replied. Honeydew gave a nod as the two men finished getting ready. Once everything was packed and organized, the two exited the Hold through the front garden. The two then exchanged a brief, silent handshake before they parted ways. Honeydew watched as KP walked down the hill and off the path, eventually disappearing past the nearby treeline.

Honeydew frowned, continuing down the cobblestone road as he thought. Now that KP was gone, he was alone again. Again, he thought of how the team dwindled from four, then three, then two, and now they're going solo. The Dwarf sighed again, and he was so lost in his thoughts that he had almost failed to notice he'd entered Carnivale Del Banjo again. Taking a look around, he noticed that most of the tents had been torn down. Looking over to where the stage was, he noticed Mr. Banjo and Strongman_Bruno tearing the collapsible stage apart, eventually loading everything into a small airship. It reminded him of Lysander's old ship, _the Celaeno, _except it was a darker color and only about half the size. Honeydew tucked his gloved hands into his pant pockets, grateful the two carnies hadn't noticed him yet.

"Ah, I'm surprised to see you back here so soon, dwarf." A familiar croak caught Honeydew's attention. He looked over to see Madame_Nubescu leaning against a wooden beam, another cigarette held between her fingers. She took another puff and blew out a smoke ring before she continued. "I sense you are troubled. How can I help ya'?"

"Yeah, do you happen know anything about cartography?" The Dwarf asked, rather blunt.

"Um…I could have a go…?"

Honeydew then pulled out the map fragment, showing it to the mystic. "Well, ya'see, I kinda have to find the other parts of this map 'ere. I'm supposed to find someone who's connected to the magic in the thing. Think you can give it a try?"

"I suppose." Nubescu told him, eyeing the map for a moment. "Let me see it."

Honeydew nodded and extended his arm further, handing it over to the fortune teller. Nubescu had reached out to take it from him, but as soon as her skin came in contact with the parchment, she pulled back and gripped her hand like she'd been burned.

"Is something wrong?" Honeydew asked, concerned. Nubescu muttered something as she shook out her hand, seeming to be fine now.

"Dat map be evil." She replied. "You _sure_ ya want me to tell you about it?"

Honeydew nodded in response.

"Then that'll be four gold pieces."

Honeydew held back another groan as he dug through his bag. He found the pouch with the gold and handed Nubescu four more pieces. The mystic then tucked the gold into her dress pocket before reaching for the map again. She still cringed when she touched it, but she held on, closing her eyes as she focused. After a moment, her eyes flew open as she gripped her hand again, visibly shaking.

"It's no use…I can't decipher it." She told the Dwarf after a moment. Honeydew frowned.

"Does that mean I get my money back?"

"No."

"WHAT? Ugh, carnies! Why I oughta-"

"But I did find someone else who could." Nubescu spoke, interrupting Honeydew before he could begin his angry rant. Honeydew's head snapped towards her direction.

"What, really? Who?"

"An old druid. He knows about maps…and tings." Nubescu replied, sounding uncertain as she rubbed her now-sore cranium. The Dwarf raised a brow at her.

"'And tings'? What about maps _'and tings'_?" He asked, his suspicion starting to rise again. Nubescu just looked at him, annoyance clearly expressed on her features. Honeydew seemed to have that effect on people.

"Look, he'll tell you 'bout that map fragment. Is dat good enough for ya'?" She snapped. Honeydew just gave a nod.

"Can you tell me where or who he is?" He asked next, seeing that the fortune teller was becoming exhausted again.

"I did not see a name, but he is very close. He be the brother of dat old fool Fumblemore." Nubescu seemed to roll her caramel-colored eyes at the mention of the old wizard's name. Honeydew's own eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh my gods, Fumblemore has a brother?" He asked. Nubescu just nodded before she pointed back over towards The Skull, the waterslide that had been built into it now dismantled.

"He be just through dat pass ova' dere. " She told him. "Be careful, dwarf. I tink everyone in Fumblemore's family is a bit off the rocker, if ya' know what I mean."

Honeydew just nodded again before he looked over towards The Skull. "Thanks, Madame. I'll see you around, I guess." With that, he gave a small wave and started down the path that lead through The Skull. Nubescu waved in return.

"Be sure to tell your friends about the carnival!" She called after him, returning to her cigarette soon after. Honeydew then climbed a few hastily-carved stone steps and entered The Skull, the path darkening as he continued down deeper and deeper. Eventually, light was visible from up ahead, and the Dwarf emerged on the other side of the pass.

The Cultists' Tower had crumbled away completely between now and the time he'd last been there. Now that the portals were gone, the entire thing was most likely useless, so the Cultists probably destroyed it after he'd left. Honeydew's thoughts briefly drifted to Granny_Bacon as he looked over to the ruins of Mistral City. He expected it to be in the condition he'd left it in; destroyed, desolate, and burnt to a crisp. Instead, large trees enveloped the area where the city had once stood. Some even looked like they'd been there for years. Honeydew rubbed his eyes and blinked a couple of times, making sure he wasn't hallucinating.

"Wait…what?" The Dwarf then continued down the path a bit before wading through the moat. The once deep, murky waters were now cleaned from all the ash and pollution, and a small stream now ran in its place. Honeydew crossed it easily and pulled himself up over a small section of the city's wall, most of it having crumbled away into dust. Honeydew navigated through the plethora of trees as they started to clump closer and closer together, making the forest all the more thick. Eventually, he came upon a clearing near the center of the forest. He recognized it to be Mistral City's main square. The ruins of the three fountains lay scattered around the clearing, and the Church of the Holy Record had been completely demolished. Although it was a clearing, trees and greenery still blocked the sky above, covering the odd place in darkness and shadows.

Suddenly, the Dwarf's attention was caught by the sound of two feet landing on the hard cobblestone ground.

"What're _you _doing here, man?!" Came an old but angry voice. Honeydew turned to see a man who resembled Fumblemore glaring at him, an odd wooden walking stick in one of his hands. He wore odd, tattered green robes, and small vines and roots were intertwined in his grey hair and beard. Honeydew opened his mouth to answer when the old man bonked him on the head with his walking stick.

"Ow! What the hell, old man?!" Honeydew asked, reaching for the injury. Despite his metal helm, the impact had still hurt. The old man glared at him as he folded his arms over his chest.

"Get out of my forest, dwarf! I won't have your kind anywhere near here!" He said. His voice had been altered by age and what sounded to be light smoking, making him sound like an old hippie. Honeydew just stared at him.

_Please don't tell me this is the guy…_

"What's wrong with dwarves? We're a very respectable race!" Honeydew asked, his anger rising slightly at the old man's attitude towards his people. The old man just snorted as he pointed at Honeydew's iron gear.

"You wear iron, man! All of you do! You defile the land, tearing it apart for resources! It's stupid, man!"

"But... but iron comes from the ear- oh, never mind. Look, I'm a friend of Fumblemore's. Does that mean anythin' to-" He was cut off when the old man smashed his walking stick against his head again. "OW!"

"Fumblemore?! That makes it worse! Get out, man! Anybody whose buddies with my brother aren't welcome here!" He yelled. Honeydew thought the man looked ready to pull his own hair out.

"You don't like your brother?" He asked next. "Why?"

"Look what he did, man! Burned the whole city along with the land around it!" The old man motioned around, showing Honeydew the rubble of what remained from the city. "He's out of control, man! RUINED THE LAND, MAN! RUINED IT!"

"Wait, hang on a minute. Fumblemore didn't burn the city! A Skylord did, along with the Cult of Israphel!" Honeydew argued. He stopped and stroked his beard for a moment, the ends of it a little charred from the explosion back at the beacon. "Well, I'm pretty sure anyway. I was here when the place went alight. Fumblemore couldn't have done it!"

"It doesn't matter man! It's RUINED!" The old man screamed. Suddenly, a creeper emerged from behind a tree, and as soon as the old man saw it, he pointed his walking stick at it. Suddenly, a root from the tree it had been hiding behind lifted off the ground, smashing the unsuspecting creeper before it could get close. Honeydew's eyes widened in shock and awe as the old man looked away, muttering something to himself.

"Bah! Creepers! All they do is ruin the land!" Honeydew managed to hear. The Dwarf groaned and slapped his forehead, exasperated. He pulled out the map fragment and shoved it in the old man's face.

"Here! Just look at it, for Notch's sake!" He yelled. The old man looked as if he was about to protest when his emerald eyes locked on to the map fragment. He snatched it away from the Dwarf to look it over.

"What? Where'd you get this?" He asked, his voice much more calm and serious than before. Honeydew pointed over his shoulder.

"Back over by that old guard tower, from the Cult of Israphel." He explained. The old man looked at him before he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he did.

"So…it really was the Cultists who did this." He mumbled to himself. He gave another sighed before he held out a hand towards Honeydew.

"Name's Swampy. Swampy_Bogbeard. Just call me Swampy, though."

Honeydew raised a brow before he took the old man's hand, the two sharing a brief handshake.

"Honeydew." The Dwarf told him. Swampy nodded before he looked at the map again.

"Well, I guess I can help you a bit, man. But you'll have to get up to my platform first."

"Platform? What platform?" Honeydew asked. In response, Swampy pointed upwards, parting the canopy above to reveal a floating patch of land. The Dwarf could just make out the frame of a cobblestone structure mixed in with the trees, and there was no visible way to even get close to it. Honeydew frowned, surprised that he hadn't noticed it on the way into the forest.

"Oh. That one..."

"Here man, use these." Swampy then tapped his walking stick three times on the cobblestone, and two small bags appeared in a puff of green smoke. The druid then slid them closer to Honeydew with his foot. The Dwarf bent down to look through each. One contained a bunch of tree saplings while the other housed a bunch of white, grounded up powder. He ran his hand through it.

"Bone Meal?" He asked, looking up at Swampy for a confirmation. The druid nodded.

"Enchanted Bone Meal, to be precise. You'll figure it out." He told him. He tapped his walking stick again, this time one solid thump, and the druid then began to magically levitate off the ground. Honeydew watched in awe as Swampy gave a mock-salute down towards him before the druid took off towards his platform.

"Have fun, man! Don't defile any land!" He called down. Honeydew watched him land and head towards the cobblestone structure somewhere deeper among the floating space. Snapping out of his amazement, Honeydew picked up the two bags and looked between them.

"Now, how in holy hell do I get this to work?"

* * *

Sometime later, Honeydew pulled himself up onto Swampy's platform, panting as he did. Below him stood a gigantic tree, complied of many, much smaller trees. Swampy's enchanted Bone Meal allowed trees to grow instantly, and Honeydew had figured out a way to stack the trees on top of one another.

"Now I remember why I hated climbing trees as a kid. It's fuckin' hard." He muttered to himself. After catching his breath, the Dwarf picked himself up and strode deeper into the new treeline, finding Swampy's odd cobblestone shack soon after entering. He walked through the empty doorframe and started ascending a small set of stairs, hearing the druid humming some old tune as he approached. The stairs stopped when they reached an open platform, elevated above the rest. It was constructed out of dirt and was surrounded by trees, forming a dome around a little meadow. Swampy continued humming to himself, sitting cross-legged on the ground as he fed a few local birds some birdseed. Upon hearing the Dwarf approach, all the birds chirped and flew off, causing the old man to turn to face Honeydew.

"Ah, you finally made it, man! Did you defile any land?" He asked, raising a suspicious eyebrow at the Dwarf. Honeydew shook his head. "Good! Then we can begin."

Clearing his throat, Swampy pulled out the map fragment, allowing it to hover in front of him. Closing his eyes, the old man himself started to hover again, sitting cross-legged in midair. Honeydew watched as the old man entered a meditative state, humming and chanting for a few good minutes before he finally spoke.

"The map pieces…they are spread out across the land, far apart from each other." He began. "One is surrounded by cutlass and cannon. Another is held by a lord of the sky. The last is buried deep below bedrock… I see beards, man!"

Honeydew watched as Swampy's focus was suddenly broken, and the old man dropped to the ground. The druid muttered something about old age before he grabbed and handed the map fragment back to the Dwarf.

"That's all I got, man. The first map piece lies beyond Skull Pass. Return to Verigan's Hold and test your aim. Now go!" He advised. Honeydew gave him a confused look as he tucked the map fragment back into his bag.

"Um…alright. Thanks again, uh…man." He awkwardly replied. He began to make his way back down the stairs as Swampy called after him.

"No problem, man! Farewell, don't defile any land! If you do, I'll find you and kill you!"

Honeydew just rolled his eyes as he descended the crumbling staircase, Swampy's prophecy playing over and over again in his mind. Cutlass and cannon sounded like pirates were involved. Hopefully they wouldn't be too troublesome. The second piece was held by a Skylord. Whether it meant Lysander, Jasper, or some other random Skylord he had yet to meet, he did not know. Finally, the third was far below bedrock, and Swampy had said something about beards. Could he possibly mean other dwarves?

Honeydew sighed, reaching the edge of the platform and his gigantic tree again. The sun had just started to set over the horizon, and it would be dark within the next few minutes. Honeydew pushed the thoughts of the map pieces away for the time being and focused on the first difficult task at hand.

"How the fuck am I getting down from here?"

* * *

Meanwhile, a single ship sat moored along a cove. The deck was lit up with lanterns as the sky grew dark, the crew chattering and squealing amongst themselves. It was and odd crew, a very odd one indeed. All but the captain were zombie pigmen; half human, half pig, and entirely undead. As the unholy crew celebrated what seemed to be a victory, the captain sat on his ship's fine wooden railing, drinking his worries away as he downed a mug of beer. The captain gave a sigh of pleasure as he finished his drink, wiping away the foam with his coatsleeve. As he turned to call for another, the captain noticed something – rather, _someone _– for the first time. On the beach in front of him stood a young man, hands in his coat pockets as he gazed up at the ship, seeming to be admiring the craftsmanship. For some reason, this angered the captain, and a sharp whistle caught the attention of both the man and the rest of the crew.

"Aye! Off wit' ye, filthy landlubber! I don't want no stinkin' yellowbelly gawkin' at me ship!" He yelled, pointing down at the man. The crew of pigmen had assembled along the rails to look down at the stranger, curious at the newcomer. The young man simply looked up at the captain, his expression hardened into a slight glare.

"You're the captain, correct?" He asked, tilting his head to the side a bit as he did. "If you are, I was wondering if you and your crew would give me a lift."

"What do you think I am, a bloody taxi service?! Turn yourself around before I have you skewered and spitfired!"

Instead of replying, the stranger pulled out a heavy-looking pouch and tossed it up onto the deck. Its contents spilled out across the floorboards, revealing a large amount of gold laying inside. The pirates' eyes widened as some pigmen scrambled for the loot, only to be called back by their captain.

"How about now?" The stranger called. The captain looked over the gold, a smirk growing on his bearded face. He gave a laugh and looked down at the young man on the beach.

"Alright, lad, you've got yerself a ride. Lower the board, mates!"

The pigmen nodded and started shuffling along the deck, grabbing a long wooden platform used for boarding and leaving the ship. They placed it down in the designated spot before the stranger came aboard, giving the pigmen suspicious glares as he did. The captain had scooped the gold pieces back into the bag and had hidden it under his captain's hat, his cap complete with the Skull-and-Crossbones insignia and everything.

"Where to?" He asked. The stranger gave one final look around before he made his way towards the door that lead below deck.

"Anywhere. I don't care. Just bloody somewhere." He muttered. He opened the door and headed below deck, slamming the mahogany wood behind him. The entire crew cringed at the sound, nervous glances and squeals spreading through the crowd. The captain glared at the door and muttered something foul before he turned to his army of pigmen.

"We'll continue our regular course, then. Hoist the sail, mates, we're off to Barbeque Bay!"

Xephos heard the pigmen squeal in response before they spread out across the deck, manning their designated posts. The Spaceman found the nearest empty cabin and stepped inside. Inside was a hammock, a porthole, and a cracked mirror hanging by a string on the wooden wall. He walked over and looked at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were the same from when he'd last checked; red had merged with the regular blue color, leaving behind a dull grey with a twinge of red in them. The Spaceman sighed and slipped his sword off his back, taking a seat on the rickety hammock. Xephos ran a hand through his hair as he lay back, staring up at the cabin's ceiling with his tired grey eyes.

"Barbeque Bay, huh…" He repeated the name to himself, eyes slipping closed as he rolled over. "What an odd little name for a place."


	20. Chapter 20: Trouble At the Bay

**Separated**

**Chapter 20: Trouble At the Bay**

* * *

A terrified scream pierced the air as Honeydew fell, the Dwarf having taken a misstep on the way down. Fortunately, he wasn't that far from the ground, and the Dwarf landed amongst a few trees, breaking a few branches on the way down. He landed on his rump as another branch above him snapped and fell, striking him on the head.

"Oof!" Honeydew cringed and rubbed his cranium, already sore from Swampy's multiple whacks with his walking stick. He glared up at the gigantic tree before him, muttering.

"Damn trees. Damn nature. Damn prophecy." He stood and brushed excess leaves off of himself, still muttering. "The world clearly has it out for me…"

After getting himself resituated, the Dwarf pulled out a torch from his bag and lit it by dragging it accross the ground. The forest was nearly pitch black now that it was nighttime, and Honeydew could hear the scuttling of the local wildlife all around him. He continued walking in the direction he came, eventually finding the old road that lead past the Cultists' Tower and through Skull Pass. Honeydew crossed the stream and headed through the pass again, keeping to what the old druid had told him.

"Test your aim, huh? I wonder what he meant by that…" The Dwarf asked himself as he emerged at the other side of Skull Pass. Carnevale Del Banjo was almost completely packed up, save for a few miscellaneous crates and folded up tents. As Honeydew descended the stairs, he noticed the hulking shape of Strongman_Bruno near the bottom of the stone steps. The torchlight caught the Strongman's attention, and Bruno looked over to see Honeydew approach. He smirked and gave another mocking laugh, turning to face the Dwarf.

"Hello, babby man. Come back to lose twice?" He asked, his voice still thick with his foreign accent. Honeydew ignored him and tried to push past, but the Strongman simply stepped in his way again. The Dwarf glared up at the Strongman, who still smirked in return. Bruno looked as if he was about to say something when Mr. Banjo's nasally voice drifted over to them.

"C'mon, Bruno! We're almost ready!" He called. Bruno turned to face the direction the voice had come from.

"One minute!"

Seeing an opportunity, Honeydew smirked. While Bruno was distracted, the Dwarf pulled out the two bags Swampy had given him earlier. A single sapling and a small handful of the enchanted Bone Meal remained, and after placing the sapling in the dirt below Bruno, the Dwarf threw down the last of the Bone Meal onto it. Instantly the tree sprang to full size, leaves suddenly sprouting on the newly formed branches. Bruno gave a gasp of surprise as the bark wrapped around him, and Honeydew heard him give muffled shouts and curses from inside the trunk. Honeydew laughed and watched as Bruno's exposed arms flailed about, and the Dwarf ran off into the night when he heard a panicked Mr. Banjo beginning to approach. Honeydew stopped when he reached the stairs that led up to Verigan's Hold, catching his breath from running and laughing so hard.

"How do you like _that_, you cheatin' bastard?" He chuckled. It was then he noticed something for the first time. Just behind where one of the carnival tents had stood, an old abandoned archery course sat beside the stairs. Honeydew raised a brow and approached the course, pushing open a splintered wooden gate. He waved the torch around to examine the sandy lot. There was a small shack to store supplies, a designated archer's area, and red and white targets set up a little distance away, just behind the ruins of a stone wall.

Figuring this is what Swampy had meant by "test your aim", Honeydew staked the torch into the ground and pulled out the small crossbow from his bag. Loading a bolt into the weapon, Honeydew took a moment to aim at the nearest target before firing. The bolt flew forward and hit the center of the target before it bounced off and hit the sand. Honeydew looked around, expecting something to happen. He fired two more shots and got Bullseyes again. Still, nothing happened. Honeydew then grabbed the torch and went over to retrieve his bolts when he noticed something. Behind the crumbling wall lay an opened secret hatch, directly in front of the target he had fired at. A ladder led down into the pit below, and Honeydew could not tell how deep it was.

"Well, this must be it." He mumbled to himself. Adjusting the grip on the torch again, the Dwarf started to climb down the ladder and down the hatch. About twenty seconds after entering had he reached the bottom; much less deep than he thought it would be. Honeydew waved the torch around to get a look around. The room he was in was small, and it appeared it had been dug out a long time ago. The Dwarf continued down it until he found an open iron door, its opening mechanism right next to it. Also next to it was a sign, the faded lettering reading "WARNING: TIGHT SPACES". Honeydew gave a quick glance at the words before continuing through the door. Past the door was another small room, entirely empty save for a small pool of water near the opposite wall. Another sign hung above the pool. Honeydew stepped closer to read it.

_Bootlegger's Pass to Barbeque Bay_

An arrow then pointed down into the pool. It took Honeydew a moment to process what he had to do.

"Of course..." He muttered. He gave a sigh before blowing out the torch, the room becoming pitch black immediately. Honeydew then knelt down and felt his way over to the pool. After getting a feel of how big it was, the Dwarf then took a breath and slipped into the water. Down and down he floated, his heavy bag and armor speeding up the process. After a moment or two he felt his feet hit solid ground. The Dwarf then felt his way forward, feeling a current pulling him along as well.

Finally, he felt his head come above water as it flowed out into a larger area. Honeydew took a breath and felt for his bag, pulling out another torch. He was once again thankful that the leather pack was waterproof. He lit the new torch and waited for his eyes to adjust to the sudden light. After they did, he realized that another long tunnel stood before him. Honeydew squeezed some water out of his magnificent mess of a beard before continuing forward, eventually coming to an old wooden barricade. Honeydew armed himself with his diamond pickaxe before prying the wood away, revealing the surface just ahead of him.

The Dwarf stepped out onto a small beach, water lapping up against the sand in front of him. He turned and noticed a large wooden structure a little ways out across the water, brightly lit up with lamps and torches. It was like a city floating on top of the water, an upper level held high above the lower portion by large wooden beams. He managed to make out many large ships moored around the other side of the platform, each a unique size, shape, and color. Shanty-style songs and music could be heard coming from all over the place, and Honeydew saw the shape of a man be tossed through a window from a building on the upper level of the wooden structure, plummeting into the calm waters below. Honeydew looked away from the odd place and noticed a small pier with a few dinghies tied to it, their respective oars laying inside. Beside the pier was another sign.

_BBQ Bay_

_(Mind your valuables)_

"Ah, so this is the place that sign mentioned." Honeydew said to himself. He discarded his torch by tossing it into the water. It sizzled as it was quenched, and Honeydew then began to untie a dinghy from the pier. Successfully working out the knot, the Dwarf placed his bag inside the small boat before climbing inside. He took a seat and grabbed the oars, pushing off from the pier with one of them. As he rowed his way over towards the main part of Barbeque Bay, Honeydew listened as the noise of the place suddenly died down, and a few surprised shouts and the breaking of glass bottles were heard. Honeydew turned the dinghy to get a better view of what was going on.

It appeared a ship had pulled into the harbor, and it was now floating a little ways away from the landing dock. Honeydew scanned the lower level of Barbeque Bay. All but a few sailors had gone into hiding at the sight of the odd ship. The Dwarf noticed them peeking out from their places every now and then. As Honeydew propelled his boat up to another small pier, he heard voices drift across the empty waters, a few sounding very close.

"…The waters here are a peaceful place for us pirates." Continued a gruff voice. "We can't let you and your meddlin' crew stay, Grimjaw!"

"Aye, yer crew has eaten four o' mine o'ready!" Added another voice. It was much older than the first, and it sounded of Scottish origin. "We cannae allow you to stay!"

Honeydew stepped onto the pier and turned a corner after reclaiming his things. His eyes then fell upon two men standing near the edge of the platform. The first man, wearing a long, blood-red coat over a standard Captain's uniform, was facing the odd ship Honeydew had noticed before. The other, much older than the first, stood beside an old Greyhound. The dog was hunched over with age, much like his master was. The old man was facing his left, away from the ship. The captain shook his head and looked at the old man, and Honeydew noticed for the first time the short black beard on his face.

"Angus, you're facin' the wrong way again, ya blind fool." He mumbled. The old man, presumably Angus, looked around, both of his eyes covered by eyepatches. "Wha-? I am?"

Honeydew watched as the Greyhound took his master's sleeve in his jaws and turned him around to face the right direction.

"I have just as much right to dock here as you do, Jock." Came a new, downright terrifying voice. Honeydew glanced over to the ship and noticed the silhouette of another captain on the deck, flanked by the silhouettes of odd-looking sailors. "Or have ye forgotten the code?"

"I have not!" Replied the captain that stood in front of Honeydew. "But I cannae be allowin' you to stay. Ye bring the taint with ya!"

Honeydew thought the captain on the ship looked offended. He recalled that the man named Jock had called him Grimjaw earlier. Angus slurred something that was impossible to understand.

"Well…" Grimjaw began. "If I can't stay here, nobody can!" The captain then turned to his crew. "FIRE THE CANNONS!"

With that, cannonballs erupted from the side of the ship, striking one of the main support beams for the upper level. The entire platform jerked as pirates began to emerge from their hiding places, running around and beginning to panic.

"We're under attack!"

"We're all gonna die!"

"Mummy!"

"Enough!" Jock yelled over the flustered cries of the Bay's residents, catching their attention. He noticed Honeydew for the first time and grabbed the Dwarf by the beard, taking him by surprise.

"You, deck hand." He began, pointing down a wooden walkway. It lead toward a large yellow vessel that was docked at the other side of the Bay. "Head to Angus_Eyeless' ship and find the one named Spacker! He'll help ye fix the support beam. Now get goin'!" With that he shoved Honeydew over towards the walkway. Honeydew turned to look at him.

"But I'm not a deck hand!"

"Do I look like I care? Go on, git!"

* * *

Xephos was forced out of the one peaceful sleep he'd gotten in days when the ship suddenly rocked with the cannon fires. He was thrown out of the hammock and onto the floor, a small grunt of pain escaping him.

"What the hell?" He asked, sitting up. He reached for his sword and stood, quickly strapping his weapon to his back again before rushing out of the cabin. He pushed past a few pigmen that were rushing to their posts before he managed to reach the deck. He found the captain standing by the rail, shouting a few orders to the rest of his crew.

"Hey! What in bloody hell is all this?" He cried, pointing out over towards the odd little town that was being fired at. The captain just gave the Spaceman a dirty look.

"It's a little somethin' called settlin' the score, lad." He told him. Just then, a large spout of water sprayed up from beside the ship. The large vessel rocked as more cannonballs landed all around them. Xephos ducked as one flew directly over his head.

"They're returnin' fire!" The captain yelled over towards his crew. He grabbed Xephos by the collar and looked the Spaceman in the eyes.

"Listen, yer part o' the crew now, for the time being. Now git your arse down below deck and man a cannon before the 'ole ship goes under!" With that, he shoved Xephos back towards the door that lead below deck. Xephos stumbled slightly before he balanced himself, giving the captain a glare over his shoulder as he headed back under the deck.

"What a jerk." He mumbled, pushing past another pigman as he headed to the cannon row. "Ah well, if it keeps me alive a little longer, so be it…"

* * *

Honeydew grunted as he pulled himself up onto the deck of Angus' gigantic yellow ship. The deck was empty due to the panic all around, the crew having left to go defend the Bay elsewhere. Honeydew ran across the ship and found that the main sail served as the way to below deck, a ladder firmly tasseled to the wooden beam. He climbed down and looked around, eventually finding the way to the main cabin hall. When Honeydew entered the part of the ship, he was taken aback by a sudden smell. It was pungent, reeking with the scent of death.

"Ugh, gross!" He muttered, pinching his nose closed. "Did someone die down here? Utterly disgust- AHH!"

Honeydew jumped when a door in front of him flew open, and a pirate emerged from one of the cabins, looking disoriented as he swung around a rusty cutlass.

"Wha—what are ye?!" he yelled. His bloodshot eyes came to rest on Honeydew. "Oh, it's just you, then."

Honeydew looked shocked as he got a good look at the pirate for the first time. Judging by his height and mangled red beard, he was a dwarf like Honeydew himself. However, this was not the thing about this pirate that surprised Honeydew so. It was the fact that he had a gaping hole through his torso, the remnants of fractured ribs and a spine sticking out of it. His skin was also a dingy grey, proving all the more that this dwarf was an undead.

"I'm not dead…jus' sleepin'. Restin' me kidneys." The zombie pirate yawned, rubbing one of his eyes. Honeydew gave him a final look up and down before he spoke.

"Let me get this straight," He began. "You're a dwarf…that's a pirate…that's also undead. Am I right?"

The pirate looked up at Honeydew, giving him a slight glare. Despite the fact that they were of the same race, Honeydew was much taller. The zombie dwarf barely reached his chest.

"Aye, that I am. You got a problem wit' that?" He asked, reaching for his cutlass again. Honeydew threw his hands up in surrender.

"No, no! 'Course not! Just curious." He replied. The pirate held his glare for a moment before relaxing.

"Awrite, what you want?" He asked. "I haven't seen the likes of you around here before. You're bound to want somethin' if ye came aboard."

"Well, actually, I was sent to find a guy named Spacker. Know where I can find him?" Honeydew asked. The zombie smirked.

"You be lookin' at him, mate! Spacker_LeChuck, at yer service. Now, this better be worth wakin' me up from me nap…"

"It is! Barbeque Bay is under attack!" Honeydew told him. He was surprised Spacker hadn't heard the cannon rounds. Maybe he had, however, and simply didn't care. "One of the main supports is damaged. This captain guy – Jock, was it? – sent me to fetch you. Do you know where the supplies are?"

Spacker's bloodshot eyes widened in surprise.

"The support, you say? Well, no time to waste! We must repair it before this 'ole place crumbles! C'mon now, follow me! The supplies are jus' round the corner!" With that, the undead pirate dwarf ran down the hall, only stopping to pick up one of his kidneys that had fallen out of his side. Honeydew followed him. The sounds of battle were getting louder now, and he thought he heard the sound of wood creaking over the cannon fire. Spacker was right; they had to repair the beam, and _fast._

* * *

_Author's Note: Welp, I'm finally on Spring Break, guys! I got a whole week to myself, so expect a few more chapters up throughout the week. I just rewatched SoI for the second time and now I'm all pumped up for writing! Plus, a little sugar always helps. :3_

_Until next time!_

_~DR_


	21. Chapter 21: Pirate Duel

**Separated**

**Chapter 21: Pirate Duel**

* * *

Honeydew followed Spacker down the hall, eventually coming to a room full of chests and storage tanks. Spacker, having stopped running a while ago, now hobbled over to the nearest chest, kicking the lid open before shifting through it. Honeydew stood by the door, watching the pirate curiously.

"So, um…how'd you get the, uh…" He stared at Spacker's ripped-open torso again. The zombie looked over his shoulder before returning to the chest.

"Stray cannonball." He gave a clipped reply. Honeydew could tell he didn't want to talk about it.

"I see…" He replied. He watched as Spacker continued to shift through the chests, only pulling out a few select items. He occasionally tightened his black Skull-and-Crossbones bandanna that was wrapped around his head, soon glancing down at what he had gathered.

"Some rope, ladders, and some other things we might need. Looks like we're all set." He said. Meanwhile, Honeydew heard another loud explosion across the town, Jock's gruff voice calling out soon afterwards.

"Damn it, not the gun shop! And Angus, for Notch's sake, you're facin' backwards again!"

"Sounds bad out there…" He mumbled. Spacker just nodded as he shoved a coil of rope into Honeydew's arms, carrying the other supplies himself.

"Let's head out to the beam, then. Logs should already be out there fer us. C'mon now, let's get goin'!"

Honeydew nodded and followed the undead pirate back up onto the main deck. He looked across the water to see that Grimjaw's ship had sailed closer in their direction. Angus_Eyeless and his dog made their way onto the ship as the dwarves reached the deck, the old Scottish captain then heading towards a nearby cannon.

"Should we really let the blind man aim the weaponry?" Honeydew whispered over to Spacker. He smiled as he headed down the ramp and back onto the main platform.

"You'd be surprised. Despite the fact he's blind, Angus almost never misses. Odd, ain't it?"

"Yeah, it is." Honeydew replied. He shrugged it off as the two dwarves made their way over to the unsteady beam, dodging any random pirates as they headed to new posts and positions. The cannonballs had split a good chunk of the wood off into the water, and the rest of it looked like it could snap under the weight from the upper level at any moment. Honeydew placed the coil of rope down as Spacker did the same, shambling over to a small wooden shack. It surprisingly hadn't taken any damage yet. The zombie opened the door to reveal many short logs and wooden planks stored inside. He grabbed a log and began hauling it over towards the beam. Although he was undead, his dwarven might was still rooted deep inside him. Honeydew grabbed his own log and carried it over to the support. Spacker had already straightened and wedged his into place. He then took the log from Honeydew and pointed back over towards their supplies.

"Get me the rope! We need to make sure the wood stays!" He called. More cannonballs flew back and forth over the water, a few splashing down beside them. Honeydew instinctively covered his head to protect himself before he nodded back to Spacker, running to get the supplies they needed.

* * *

Xephos coughed as more black smoke filled the room, making it even harder to see. The constant cannon fire had covered the entire area in the mix of air and gunpowder, and he heard a few pigmen squeal in surprise beside him. Squinting past the smoke, he felt for another cannonball before shoving it into the cannon he was manning. He coughed again, trying to aim the best he could. Once this proved to no avail, the Spaceman sighed and fired the cannon, hoping that it would hit something somewhere.

* * *

"Shit!" Honeydew fell back in surprise when a cannonball suddenly struck the platform directly in front of him. It went straight through the sturdy wood and down into the waters below. If he'd been any closer, he would've ended up in the same boat Spacker was; dead.

"You awrite, mate?" Spacker called over. Honeydew regained his composure before giving a nod, continuing to haul another log over towards the other dwarf. The support beam was nearly done by now, and Spacker was tying a strip of rope around part of it to make it stay. He took a log from Honeydew and wedged it into place, wrapping another part of the rope around it as well. He then took a step back and admired their work.

"There, good as new!" He declared, turning to Honeydew. "These pirates would be halfway to Davy Jones' locker if it wasn't fer our dwarven handiwork, now would they?"

Honeydew smiled slightly as he gave a nod. He turned to see Jock run up to them. The captain looked between the dwarves and the support beam before his eyes came to rest on Honeydew.

"Awrite, deck hand, here's what I need you to do now." He began. The captain pointed over to Grimjaw's ship. "Get out there and burn that hunk of driftwood to pieces!"

Upon hearing the word "burn", Honeydew's eyes lit up as he smirked. He pulled out his Flint and Steel.

"Aye aye, captain!" He gave a salute before he ran back over to where he had left his dinghy. Like the shack, it had surprisingly taken no damage, and part of him was amazed that a panicked sailor hadn't fled the Bay with it. Tossing his bag inside again, the Dwarf climbed in after it before pushing off with the oars. The waters were draped with a mix of gunsmoke and the nightly mist, providing the perfect cover for Honeydew to reach the ship undetected. He propelled the small boat up behind the back of Grimjaw's odd vessel, and he reached for his Flint and Steel again. It only took a single flick for the wooden ship to catch fire, and he watched as the flames began to dance up towards the deck. Honeydew couldn't help but smirk as he turned his dinghy around, already hearing a few of the crew yelling and squealing at the new threat.

"Squealing? What are they, pigs?" He asked himself. He shrugged it off and returned to the main platform of Barbeque Bay. Meanwhile, he heard an explosion go off over at Grimjaw's ship, most likely caused by the fire reaching the gunpowder supply. Jock, Spacker, and a few other pirates were waiting for him back on the platform.

"Aye, good job, deck hand! Now Grimjaw will know a thing or two when it comes to messin' with Jock_Fireblast!" Jock laughed, watching as Spacker helped the other dwarf onto the platform. Honeydew gave a small smile as more pirates ran to watch the inferno. The deck was entirely blocked out by smoke and fire, making it impossible for anyone to see what was happening on board. Within a few minutes, the ship finally began to sink under the waves, and Honeydew noticed the sun beginning to rise over on the horizon. For a second he thought he saw a figure dive off the side of the ship, but he dismissed it as a trick of the new light.

_Oh well. If someone did survive, I'm sure it was nobody important._

* * *

Xephos had just loaded another cannonball into his cannon when he heard a pigman squeal next to him. He turned to see what the commotion was about when a loud bang suddenly happened. Xephos was thrown back across the room before he hit the wall. His ears were still ringing from the explosion, whatever it was, as he picked himself up. He looked over to see that a fire had somehow started near the back of the ship, and it had just reached the gunpowder supply. Xephos watched as a few pigmen ran past him towards the door, other less-fortunate ones already engulfed in the flames.

It was then Xephos found himself paralyzed with fear. The fires, the explosion, the pigmen burning up in front of him. It was just like that fateful night the USS Floridian went up in a massive explosion. The sounds of sirens and panicked cries of the crew filled his head again, causing Xephos to grip his head to try and make it stop_. _Still, the sounds persisted, and the Spaceman curled up against the wall. _Not again_, he thought. _This can't be happening again…_

Suddenly, he was snapped out of his thoughts when a pigman tripped over him on the way out of the room. The Spaceman looked around and noticed the fires slowly creeping over to him. In an instant he was on his feet, pushing past the few remaining pigmen that were left alive in the room. He ran down the hall and up towards the deck. The roars of the flames were louder now, much larger fires engulfing the hull and the main mast. Xephos was about to dive off the side when he felt a hand catch the back of his collar.

"_You_…" Began a voice. It was seeping with utter anger and hatred. Xephos was turned around to face the captain, whose dark eyes reflected the fire burning all around. About half of his black mess of a beard had been singed off, and the Spaceman could tell he was a bit delusional with the way he spoke. "This is _your _fault, you worthless git! You're goin' down with us if it's the last thing I do!"

With that the captain pulled his scabbard and aimed to run it through Xephos' chest. Xephos' eyes widened in surprise before he somehow managed to dodge. The Spaceman then dodged another jab from the captain, pulling his own sword as he did. The two then locked weapons for a moment, trying to off-balance each other. The stalemate then broke as the two began to parry each other's attacks, working their way up and down the ruined deck as they did. Xephos managed to graze the tip of his sword across the captain's burned cheek, only making the pirate angrier. With sudden speed he pushed Xephos to the ground, knocking the diamond sword away from the Spaceman's hands. Xephos watched as the captain raised his scabbard to deal the final blow when he heard the sound of wood splitting nearby. The main mast had snapped from its foundation, and it was beginning to fall…

…directly on top of them.

Xephos took the opportunity to roll out of the way when the captain noticed the mast. The captain turned in surprise before he tried to step out of the way. But by then, it was too late. Xephos watched as the heavy mast crushed him, the captain giving one final cry of pain before it died away.

Xephos gave a sigh of relief before he reached for his sword lying nearby. He sheathed it on his back and attempted to stand when the ship suddenly jerked, causing him to fall again. The fires had consumed most of it by now, and it had just begun to sink, unable to keep afloat any longer. The Spaceman managed to stand and sprint up the slanting angle of the deck, diving off the side and into the water below. He resurfaced a few moments later, catching his breath as he swam over towards a piece of charred driftwood. The Spaceman tossed his arms over it to keep his head afloat, giving a sigh as he did.

"Blimey, I'm exhausted…" He mumbled to himself. The waters were still thick with smoke and mist as the sun began to rise up over a few hills. He let his eyes slip closed as his body relaxed, allowing the tides to drag him wherever they pleased.

* * *

A few hours passed since the sinking of Grimjaw's ship, and the sinister captain had yet to be found. Presuming he was dead, the residents of Barbeque Bay had taken the time to celebrate their victory before beginning further repairs around the town. Honeydew had been talking to Spacker, the two sharing some beer when Jock approached again. He wore a warm smile on his face, and Angus and his dog were not too far behind.

"Well stranger, you certainly pulled through fer us." The captain began. A few nearby pirates raised the mugs and gave a "here-here!" in response. "Anytime you be needin' a favor, jus' say the word."

"Well, since you've mentioned it, I need help finding a map." Honeydew began. Jock gave a laugh.

"There be plenty o' maps around here, mate! You'll have to be clearer."

"I have part of it right here." The Dwarf told the pirate. He pulled out the map fragment and showed it to Jock. The captain took it and studied it as Angus tried to peer over his shoulder, despite the fact that he was blind. Of course, the old man was facing the wrong way again, and Angus' Greyhound turned him in the right direction.

"Anythin' interestin', Jock?" He asked. Jock's eyes suddenly widened in surprise before he dropped the map piece, allowing it to flutter towards the ground.

"That map be cursed, mate! It carries the Black Spot!" He cried. A few of the nearby pirates drew back in fear. Honeydew picked the map again and studied it, not finding a spot on it anywhere.

"Look, I know the thing's evil; I've been told many times." He began again, tucking the map away. "But I don't care. I need to find the other pieces. Any idea where to start?"

Jock looked uncertain as pulled at his collar, seeming to be debating something in his head.

"Well, I suspect Grimjaw would've had somethin' to do with this, but now he seems to be dead. However, rumor has it that he was keepin' his loot in a treasure hold! I do know of one person who could help ya' find it, if ye are brave enough to face 'er." The pirates gasped in response.

"Jock, you surely don't mean…" Spacker began, looking as shocked and scared as everyone else. The captain gave a grim nod.

"Yes. You'll have to seek help in the Dread Pirate, Norris!"

The entire crowd gave another gasp. Honeydew looked around, confused.

"Norris? That doesn't sound very threatening." He said.

"Don't let the name fool you, mate. Dread Pirate Norris is a scourge of the seas! Treasure hunter, cheater, theif! Vagabond! She'll slit yer throat the moment she lays eyes on ya." Jock told him. He gave a sharp exhale out of his nose before continuing. "But if yer set on findin' this map, I'll tell ye the way." He pointed over across the water. The smoke from the earlier fight had cleared, and it was now easy to see across the water and over towards the shape of land all the way across the other side of the Bay.

"Head over there an' follow the shoreline. You'll find where Norris keeps her ship eventually."

"Alright. Thanks for the help." Honeydew told him, beginning to make his way over to where he'd docked his dinghy. Jock nodded as Angus waved, Spacker also throwing in "Good luck!" for good measure. Honeydew climbed inside the boat again before pushing off, going the way Jock had told him.

As Barbeque Bay grew small in the distance, the landmass that Jock had indicated grew larger. Honeydew then turned the dinghy to start following the shoreline as he grew close. He didn't have to follow it far; just around the first bend sat a small cove, and a decent sized pirate ship sat anchored within it. Figuring this must be the place, Honeydew began to row over. He soon noticed a slender woman standing on the deck of the ship, staring down at him.

"Stay away from the Black Pimple, you scum!" She shouted. Though her voice was light and airy, it still rang true with strength and authority. Honeydew looked up at her and noticed long black curls, a simple black dress, and an excellent figure. Honeydew smiled slightly as he felt himself blush under his beard.

_Maybe it's time I move on from Granny_Bacon…_

"Hear me, dwarf? Get going! You be messin' with the Dread Pirate Norris!" She shouted again. Honeydew looked up to study her again, and he realized this woman had a striking resemblance to a certain knight he knew.

"Peculier?" He called up. A name suddenly popped into his head for some reason. "Isabel_Peculier?"

"Norris" looked shocked for a moment before her expression grew firm again.

"I-I have absolutely no idea who that is! Now off with you!" She called down. She glanced around before she lowered her voice.

"Listen, we don't mention that name around here. It be cursed. _Understand?" _The way she emphasized that last word gave Honeydew the hint that she meant to keep her true identity secret. He gave a nod.

"Oh, alright then." He replied. Isabel sighed and turned, beginning to walk towards the other side of the ship.

"Well, you're obviously not a threat. You can come aboard." She called back. Honeydew gave a nod, although Isabel couldn't see, and began to work his way around to the other side of the ship. He saw Isabel now studying part of the hull, part of the wood cracked and torn off from rocks. It was then Honeydew realized that she had run aground. He pulled up beside the ship and climbed out into the shallow water, dragging the small dinghy up onto the sand. He began to study the damage as well.

"I could help you with that. Ya'know, if you want." He said casually, glancing over towards Isabel. The woman frowned and sighed before she tossed a ropeladder down towards the Dwarf.

"Here, climb aboard. We'll talk in a moment." She said. Honeydew nodded and made his way up onto the deck. Isabel looked like she was about to say something when the sound of footsteps were heard across the other side of the ship. It sounded as if someone was coming up the stairs from below deck.

"Who's that coming up? Part of the crew?" Honeydew asked. Isabel just shrugged.

"It must be that drifter I picked up a few hours ago. He was out like a light when I found him."

Honeydew watched as the door that lead below deck swung open, and a figure stood leaning on the doorframe, gripping his head as he muttered something to himself. He wore a slightly-tattered red trench coat over a white shirt, a few blue stripes across the front. He also wore simple brown pants and some old dress shoes, apparently worn out from walking a lot. The Dwarf noticed a sword strapped to the man's back as he looked up to reveal a face; a face part of Honeydew thought he'd never see again. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Xephos!"


	22. Chapter 22: Reunion

**Separated**

**Chapter 22: Reunion**

* * *

Xephos looked surprised when he felt someone suddenly wrap their arms around him. He looked down to see Honeydew, the tall dwarf nearly crushing him in a bear hug.

"Xephos! It's you! It's really you!" The Dwarf cried happily, tightening the hug even more. Xephos cringed.

"Honey…dew…can't…breathe…!"

"Oops." Honeydew let the Spaceman go. "Heh, sorry! Where've you been, man? I've been looking all over for you!"

Xephos caught his breath and looked over towards his friend. Honeydew was still smiling as he waited for an answer. Xephos opened his mouth to say something, but the words caught in his throat. He didn't know what to say. He then noticed a woman just across the deck, staring at the two with a raised brow. Taking the opportunity, he quickly walked over. Honeydew watched as the Spaceman ignored him, a confused frown appearing on his face.

"Hey, um, where am I? Who are you?" He asked. Honeydew walked up to his side. The woman glanced between the pair before she responded.

"You're on the Black Pimple. I picked you up out of the water a few hours ago. My name's Isabel. I'd give you an alias, but it appears your dwarven friend here already figured out who I was." She gave a slight glare over to Honeydew, who simply raised his hands in defeat. Xephos frowned, giving a nervous glance between the two.

"Oh. Alright then..."

"Anyway, what is it that you want, dwarf?" Isabel asked, turning towards Honeydew. Xephos made his way back over towards the door that lead below deck before leaning on the wall next to it. Honeydew glanced over to his friend before he turned back to Isabel.

"Well, a friend of mine told me you know where a guy named Grimjaw's treasure hold is." He began. Isabel raised a brow at him.

"Perhaps…What about it?"

"You see, um, I kind of need something inside." He continued. "Care to tell me where it is? It's just one thing, I swear! I'll leave the rest of the treasure to you. …Alright, most of it. What do ya' say?"

Isabel looked the Dwarf up and down again, studying him closely. After a moment, the Dread Pirate sighed.

"Alright, I'll show you where it is." She told him. Honeydew smiled and gave a bow.

"Thank you, you lovely lady you." He replied. Isabel tried to cover a slight blush with her hand.

"O-On one condition." She continued. "I sent my first mate out a while ago to check the place out. He has yet to return. Find him and bring him back, will you?"

"Of course. Anything for you, dear." Honeydew replied, giving Isabel a wink. The pirate blushed again. Xephos looked up over to his friend before looking back towards the floorboards.

"Keep it in your pants, Loverboy." He called over. Honeydew shot the Spaceman a look as Isabel giggled. The pirate then walked over towards the side of the ship and pointed across the water a little ways. Honeydew looked over and noticed the cobblestone entrance to a waterway. It looked old and ready to collapse.

"Head through that pass over there and continue forward. There will be a small island called Skumbucket Isle. Begin your search there." She advised, glancing over her shoulder at the Dwarf. Honeydew nodded.

"Alright. C'mon Xephos, we have work to do!" He called over to his friend. The Spaceman seemed to jump at the mention of his name.

"Oh. Oh, um, alright…" He responded, barely audible. He tucked his hands in his coat pockets as he stood straight. Honeydew stared at him for a moment before he turned to Isabel again.

"Fear not, Dread Pirate! We'll be back with your shipmate in no time!" He said, beginning to make his way back towards the ropeladder. Xephos followed him. The two then made their way down the ladder and back towards Honeydew's dinghy. Xephos climbed inside and plopped down opposite of the rower's seat, continuing to stare at the ground silently as he folded his arms across his chest. Honeydew then pushed the boat back into the water, jumping inside and reaching for the oars. He looked up at Isabel again, the Dread Pirate now standing at the ship's rail to look down at them.

"One last thing, Isabel." Honeydew called up. "Do you maybe want to go out for some beer sometime?"

Isabel blushed again before she smiled.

"Maybe later." She replied. Honeydew smirked and gave Xephos a look that said "Still got it!". The Spaceman glanced up at him for a moment, expression blank before his gaze fell downwards again. Honeydew's smirk faded.

"Good luck you two! I'll repair the Pimple while you're away. A pint of grog will be waitin' for you when you return!" Isabel called down to them. Honeydew gave a wave of acknowledgement before he pushed off with the oars, beginning to make his way over towards the old waterway. Silence followed for a minute or two, neither Honeydew nor Xephos sharing a word. Eventually, Honeydew spoke up.

"So…" He began rather awkwardly. "How's it been, friend?"

Xephos glanced back up towards Honeydew again. It was then the Dwarf noticed a major change his friend; his eyes. They weren't the cheerful blue he remembered. Instead, they were a dull grey, reflecting the Spaceman's eminent fatigue. Honeydew faintly recalled hearing that the dulling of the eyes was a symptom of Post-Traumatic Stress. Or at least, he thought it was. He suddenly remembered Nubescu's prophecy.

"I've been alright." Xephos replied, leaning back in his seat as he glanced downward again. Honeydew noticed his finger beginning to tap against his arm impatiently, and the Dwarf could tell Xephos was in deep thought. He stopped rowing for a moment, allowing them to drift a bit. He stared at the Spaceman with a frown.

"Xephos…" He began. "If something's bothering you, feel free to talk about it."

Xephos looked up at him again.

"Thanks, friend, but…" He trailed off. Honeydew waited for him to continue. "…Never mind. Enough about me. How've you been?"

Honeydew sighed, beginning to row again. "It's a long story, actually..."

The Dwarf then began to tell Xephos about everything that had happened since the two had been separated. He told him about the Yogcave, Mistral City, Fumblemore, KP's new health, Lysander's betrayal, the Cultist's Tower, the carnival, Verigan's Hold, Adaephon, the breach, the map fragments, Swampy. Literally _everything_. The Spaceman listened intently, his hardened expression never changing once as the Dwarf continued on and on. By the time Honeydew finished, they had passed through the waterway and emerged on the other side. The sun had also begun to slip below the hills again.

"…and now we're here. Funny how life works, huh?" He concluded. Xephos gave a nod as his eyes slipped closed for a moment, giving a sharp exhale as he did.

"Yeah…"

The Spaceman was caught by surprise when the boat struck land, making him jump. He looked around as Honeydew stood, stepping over the side and onto some sand.

"We're here, I think." He said, looking around the small island. Xephos stood and stepped onto the sand as well. The island was small; it was basically just a patch of sand that sprang up from the water, the only thing on it an old beach umbrella. Nailed to the umbrella was an old, half-rotten sign.

_Skumbucket Isle_

"So this is where Isabel wanted us to look?" Xephos asked, reading the sign. "It's awfully small."

"Yeah, how could a treasure hold be hidden on a place like this?" Honeydew added. He turned back towards the dinghy for a moment, debating whether to leave or not. Unbeknownst to him, a creeper had stepped out from behind a small dune and was making his way towards the Dwarf. Xephos looked over just in time to notice this.

"Honeydew, look out!"

"What? Oh shi—" Before the Dwarf could finish, the creeper exploded, sending him back and into the water. Xephos silently cursed before wading over to where he saw Honeydew land. The Dwarf resurfaced next to him after a moment, coughing and spitting out seawater as he did.

"You alright, pal?" Xephos asked. He offered a hand to Honeydew to help him back to shore. The Dwarf muttered something in his native language before he accepted it.

"Yeah yeah, I'm fine. It'll take more than a creeper to do me in." He replied. Both heroes made it back onto the sand before they turned towards the dinghy. The creeper blast had damaged the wood, snapping the small boat in half. Xephos sighed.

"Great, _now _how are we going to get off of here?" He asked. Honeydew turned to inspect the other side of the small island. When he reached the top of a dune, he looked over his shoulder and called back to Xephos.

"Hey, look at this!"

Xephos looked over and raised a brow. He walked over to Honeydew, who was pointing to a spot on the ground. The Spaceman looked down to see an old hatch sticking out of the sand. A red Skull-and-Crossbones was painted over the wood, along with the word "DANGER" below it. Xephos and Honeydew shared a look.

"Should we?" Xephos asked. Honeydew shrugged and pulled the hatch open.

"Either this or swimming at least mile in the dark."

Xephos glanced over towards the horizon. The sun would be gone any minute now. He gave a sigh and looked back at Honeydew.

"Alright. You go first." He replied. Honeydew nodded and jumped into the hole. He fell a few feet before landing on solid stone. The Dwarf looked up to see Xephos jump in after him. The hatch then swung close behind them, most likely the wind. The immediate area was dark, but light was visible just down the corridor the two had entered. The two walked a bit before they entered another rectangular room. It was lit up by a few oil lamps, and the walls had been carved out to form shelves, each one empty save for a few gold coins discarded around. Honeydew's jaw dropped.

"Damn it! Someone's taken everything already!" He shouted. He looked as if he was about to throw down his metal helm in anger before Xephos stopped him.

"Wait a minute…Is someone over there?" He pointed to the opposite wall. Honeydew looked over to see the shape of a figure hunched over near the opposite side of the room. He seemed to be wearing a red and white striped shirt, some old jeans, and a black bandanna tied around the top of his head. The two heroes shared another look before they began to approach. The figure didn't move in the slightest.

"Is this Isabel's first mate?" Honeydew whispered. Xephos just shrugged. As they approached further, the figure in front of them became clearer in the dim lighting. Honeydew looked the strange fellow up and down before his eyes widened in surprise.

"Holy shit, Xephos! He's a ro-" He was then silenced when Xephos slapped a hand over his mouth. Indeed, the figure in front of them was most certainly a robot, as Honeydew was about to say. His skin was made entirely out of a partly-rusted metal, and wires stuck out the back of his head, a plate of metal missing from the spot. Xephos had silenced Honeydew when he saw the robot start to move.

"Shh! I think it's coming online." He whispered. Honeydew nodded, and the Spaceman removed his hand. The two then watched as the robot's eyes lit up, glowing green. One was covered by an eyepatch, a flickering green light barely visible past the fabric. The robot stood straight and looked around, the sounds of circuits and gears whirling and clanging with each movement. Eventually, the robot looked over toward the two. There was an awkward silence as the two parties simply stared at each other, neither making a move. Eventually, Honeydew stepped forward, quickly looking the robot up and down.

"Hello there. Can, you, understand, us?" He said slowly, pronouncing each word separately. The robot looked down at him. It was about Xephos' height.

"01001001 01100100 01101001 01101111 01110100 01110011." It spoke. Its eyes flashed with each syllable. Honeydew took a step back.

"What? What was that?"

"It appears he's speaking in Binary." Xephos commented, taking a step forward to examine the robot closer. Honeydew looked at him.

"What's Binary?" He asked.

"It's computer code. I used to be able to read it, but it's been a while..." Xephos sighed. Suddenly, the robot's good eye grew brighter, and a beam of light began to scan Honeydew up and down. The Dwarf froze, standing in a defensive position as the light scanned him. After a moment, the beam disappeared as a dinging sound came from the robot, signaling that the Dwarf passed whatever it had been scanning for. The robot then turned to Xephos, beginning to scan the Spaceman as well. About halfway through the scan, however, the beam disappeared as a beeping came from the robot, sounding somewhat like a siren. Its eyes became red before it suddenly grabbed Xephos by the neck, slamming him up against the wall. Both Xephos and Honeydew were taken by surprise.

"Hey, bad robot! Get the fuck off my friend!" Honeydew yelled, trying to pry the machine off of the Spaceman. Xephos gasped as the robot's metal hand tightened around his throat, intent on strangling him. On instinct, Honeydew grabbed his pickaxe and slammed it down on the robot's head. The diamond barely made a dent in the strange metal, but it was enough for the robot to loosen its grip on Xephos. The Spaceman stumbled before he steadied himself with the wall, coughing and sputtering as he did. Honeydew ran over to help him while some sparks erupted from the back of the robot's head. Its eyes faded back to green. Although its metal face was locked into an emotionless stare, it still seemed to glare at Xephos suspiciously.

"Are you alright, Xephos?" Honeydew asked, worried. Xephos rubbed his neck before he looked up at the Dwarf.

"I'll be fine." He replied, standing straight again. Honeydew sighed in relief before looking over to the robot.

"Why did he attack you? I got by just fine, and I'm more of a threat to him than you are." He gestured to his armor and bag of weapons. Xephos' eyes darted towards the ground again, nervously swallowing as he did.

"Yeah…wonder why…" He replied. Honeydew frowned at him. The Spaceman obviously knew more than he was letting on. He was about to question him when Xephos pushed past him again, walking back over to the robot. The humanoid machine remained still, silently staring at the Spaceman with its arms folded across its chest.

"It looks like he's not agro anymore." Xephos said, examining the robot again. "I feel as though we should call him something. What do you think?"

"Well, he's a pirate…tin man…thing. How about Tinman?" Honeydew suggested. Xephos looked over at him.

"That works. Pirate Tinman…has a bit of a ring to it, doesn't it?" Xephos replied. Honeydew gave a nod as Tinman looked between them. He then pointed to a sign on the wall the two had failed to notice. Xephos looked over and read it.

"'Two shall make way, one shall stand still.'" He quoted. "Huh. I wonder what it means by that."

Tinman then pointed over to something else on the wall. Both heroes looked over to see a button that almost blended in with the stone. Honeydew tried pushing it. Nothing happened.

"Something tells me this is a puzzle." Xephos said, looking around the empty room again. Tinman just stared at them as Honeydew groaned.

"Puzzles. It's always puzzles. Why can't it just be you go in, get what you need, and get out? Nope. 'Course not. There always has to be a goddamn puzzle…"

As Honeydew began his rant about puzzles, Xephos noticed something he hadn't before. Back by where they had entered, part of the ground had fallen away, revealing another chamber below. He raised a brow and walked over, looking to see what was down below. Not seeing much from up where he was, he began to make his way down inside, the rubble from the floor making a makeshift staircase. More empty shelves lined the walls, but the Spaceman soon found another button hidden among them. He pressed it. Again, nothing happened.

"Hey Honeydew! Come look at this!" He called up. He heard the Dwarf stop ranting before he appeared by the top of the hole.

"What?"

"It's another button! I have an idea. Here, take this one and I'll head back to the other. Wait until I tell you to press it." He replied. Honeydew nodded, climbing down as Xephos climbed up. Xephos then ran over to the other button by Tinman. The robot had not taken a single step from his spot.

"Ready, Honeydew?" Xephos called.

"Ready!" He heard the Dwarf call back.

"Alright, press it on three. One…two…three!"

With that, the two pushed their respective buttons in unison. At first nothing happened like before, but Xephos soon heard the sound of pistons moving before the floor moved out from under him. The Spaceman fell a few feet before he landed on his back. He gave a grunt before sitting up, rubbing his head again.

"You okay down there?" He heard Honeydew ask. Xephos looked up to see the Dwarf and Tinman up above, standing at the top of a staircase that had formed. Another staircase led deeper into the treasure hold, torches lighting the way as it slanted downward. Xephos stood and gave a nod up to them.

"It looks as if we need to continue this way." He told them. As Honeydew and Tinman descended the stairs, Honeydew could see that his friend had started to look uncertain again. His dull eyes glanced between Honeydew, Tinman, and the stairs, and he adjusted his collar as he swallowed hard again.

"Are you alright, Xephos?" Honeydew tried again. He didn't recall Xephos ever being claustrophobic. The Spaceman jumped again.

"I'm fine." He replied quickly, his response rather clipped. He shoved his hands into his pockets again, and he gave another nervous glance around. The Dwarf frowned again, frustrated.

"Xephos-"

"Well, better get going! We still need to find that map piece or whatever. It's a map piece, right?" He asked suddenly, changing the subject. Honeydew just looked at him before he gave a slow nod. "Right. Now let's get going. The sooner we get out of here, the better."

With that, Xephos quickly began to make his way down the stone steps. Honeydew and Tinman shared a look before they followed him. The Dwarf gave a silent sigh as he followed his friend. Xephos had blown off almost every attempt at a personal conversation, and the more Honeydew tried, the more Xephos seemed to distance himself. His thoughts drifted back to Nubescu's prophecy. He needed to find out what was bothering the Spaceman so much if he was ever going to help him, and he was going to get his answer, no matter what.


	23. Chapter 23: Grimjaw's Trials

**Separated**

**Chapter 23: Grimjaw's Trials**

* * *

As Xephos, Honeydew, and Tinman continued further down the stairs, the silence between them got all the more awkward. Xephos made his way down the steps with his shoulders hunched and his movements stiff. He gave a quick look back at his comrades before facing forward again, not making eye contact.

_I need to get out of here. _He thought to himself. He still didn't trust himself around others after what had happened with Daisy. He gave another glance back over his shoulder. Honeydew was coming down the stairs directly behind him, the Dwarf not taking his eyes off the Spaceman. Judging by his rather annoyed expression, it was obvious that he knew something was up. Why wouldn't he? Xephos gulped and turned around again. He was glad when the stairs finally ended and opened up into another room.

To the group's left was an iron door, locked with another opening mechanism. Lining the wall next to it was a series of levers and switches, along with another button. The three looked around the almost empty room. Tinman remained silent as Honeydew took a step closer to examine the wall of levers.

"What's all this?" He asked, tilting his head at the odd mechanism. Xephos managed to calm himself a bit before he began to examine the wall as well.

"Oh, it's a Lever Puzzle! I like these. Don't you, Honeydew?" He said after a moment, faking some enthusiasm. Honeydew just looked at him.

"No. No I don't, Xephos. I'd thought you'd know that by now." He replied. The Spaceman just shrugged at him before turning back to the levers. They were currently all facing upward.

"What happens when we press the button?" Xephos asked, pointing to it. Honeydew pressed it. There was a _click _before a series of musical notes sounded, almost forming a merry little tune. The melody was interrupted now and then by the sound of a snare drum. The two heroes looked at each other while Tinman stayed by the stairs, watching them intently.

"That was…odd." Honeydew commented. Xephos then pulled the first lever down. The first note of the melody sounded before a light below the lever went out. He flipped it up again. The note sounded as the light turned back on.

"Wait a minute…" Xephos said, beginning to stroke his goatee in thought as he did. Honeydew watched as the Spaceman went down the row of levers, humming each individual note to himself as he pointed to the corresponding lever. Whenever he reached a switch that signaled a drumbeat, he turned it off. Xephos then walked over to the button and pressed it. The melody played without interupption this time, and the metal door swung open when it finished.

"Hey, you did it! Good job, man." Honeydew told him, giving the Spaceman a pat on the back. Xephos looked over and smiled a bit; the first time Honeydew had seen him do so in what felt like forever. Tinman walked past them and through the door, stopping to wait on the other side. Honeydew continued forward as Xephos followed behind.

As the three continued down another hallway, Xephos suddenly stopped when he thought he had heard something. He turned and looked behind him. Nothing. He raised a brow before he faced forward, beginning to follow Honeydew and Tinman again. He stopped once more when he heard it again. Whispering. It echoed down the hall behind him, almost beckoning him to go back. He turned around again, and this time a sharp pain in his head greeted him. Xephos grunted as he gripped his skull, leaning on the wall to steady himself. The whispering grew louder, calling his name and urging him to do things. _Terrible_ things. Things he would never do in his right mind. The whispers only grew louder as the piercing pain in his head increased. Xephos grunted as he tried to force the voices away, not giving in. They were practically screaming at him now, and Xephos thought for a moment that he might pass out. Suddenly, a new voice snapped him out of it; it was Honeydew's.

"Xephos? You coming, pal?" The Dwarf called. Xephos' eyes flew open as he stood straight, looking around. The voices had suddenly died away, along with the pain in his head. Xephos took a moment to compose himself before replying.

"Yeah! I'll…be there in a moment." He called back. He gave one final glance to where he had heard the whispers originate before running down the rest of the hall. Honeydew and Tinman were waiting at the end.

"What took so long?" Honeydew asked as the Spaceman approached. Xephos skidded to a stop before he answered.

"Oh, just heard a noise. I decided to check it out." He said. Technically, he wasn't lying. Honeydew raised a suspicious brow before he turned away, facing the new obstacle in front of them. The tunnel had collapsed a little ways ahead, blocking the rest of the way. A sign was also staked into the ground in front of it.

_The treasure is NOT behind this pile of rubble!_

_(Note to self: Bring a shovel next time…)_

The second line had been scribbled in at the bottom of the wood, barely visible. The Dwarf sighed before turning to the others.

"Well, you know what this means…" He stopped to pull out a shovel from his bag. Xephos looked at him.

"Diggy diggy hole?" He asked. Honeydew gave a nod and a smile, handing the shovel to his friend before pulling out another for himself. The two then began to dig through the rubble, Honeydew singing another verse of _Diggy Diggy Hole_ as they did. Tinman stood back, once again not doing much to help. The robot simply watched as the two worked, appearing to have a judgmental glare plastered onto his emotionless metal face. Eventually, Xephos was the first to break into a new room, and new light poured through the opening, much brighter than the torches and oil lamps. He cleared more of the rubble away to reveal that part of the floor in front of them was lava, a narrow stone bridge the only thing leading over the molten rock. Honeydew took the shovels back before the three stepped into the new area. Xephos looked around and was about to head over to the bridge when Honeydew grabbed his arm, stopping the Spaceman mid-step.

"Stop!" He cried. The Dwarf pointed down towards the ground. Xephos looked down to see his foot hovering directly over a pressure plate he had failed to notice. He would've stepped directly onto it if Honeydew hadn't been there to stop him. He quickly took a step back.

"Thanks, man." He told Honeydew, who gave a nod in response. Tinman then walked around them to look at the pressure plate. After studying it a moment, the robot stepped directly onto it. Xephos and Honeydew braced for the worst, but surprisingly, nothing happened.

"So what, is it a dud?" Honeydew asked as Tinman stepped off of the stone plate. Xephos looked over towards the bridge again, this time noticing that the entire thing was lined with more pressure plates. Gingerly, he lowered a foot onto the first plate. An arrow then went whizzing by where his head would've been if he'd been walking normally. It bounced off the opposite wall before falling into the lava below, sizzling as it disintegrated. Xephos looked between the two separate plates, another idea forming in his head as he did.

"Hey, step onto that plate again real quick." He said over his shoulder. Honeydew looked over to him before he did as told. Xephos then lowered his foot onto the pressure plate again. No arrow this time. He tested the next few plates before deeming it safe to cross, quickly but carefully making his way to the other side. He noticed another pressure plate in the middle of the floor, and he stepped onto it before turning back towards the others on the other side of the lava.

"It's safe to cross now. Be careful." He called over. Honeydew stepped off of the first pressure plate and tested the bridge just to make sure it was still safe. When no arrows fired, he quickly made his way across, nearly tripping as he stepped off. Xephos allowed him to stay on the pressure plate while Tinman made his way over. For whatever reason, the Dwarf thought it was a good idea to take his foot off the pressure plate for a moment. An arrow darted out from the wall and struck Tinman in the side of the head, almost causing him to stumble into the lava. Honeydew laughed as Xephos shot him a disapproving glare. The robot finished crossing the precarious stone bridge before bringing a fist down onto the Dwarf's head.

"Ow! Hey! He hit me!" Honeydew gripped the top of his head and looked at Xephos. "He bloody hit me!"

"Oh, man up, bitch." The Spaceman replied, shooting Honeydew a look before his eyes widened. Both Honeydew and Xephos were taken by surprise at what he had just said. Xephos had often told Honeydew to "man up" multiple times as a joke, but this time he had said it with some actual asperity in his voice. The two stared at each other before Xephos cleared his throat, nervously pulling at his collar again.

"S-So, um, anyway…let's get going." Xephos said, turning to continue down another hall. Honeydew and Tinman shared a look before following after the Spaceman. Soon the party came to where the hall widened into another large, rectangular room. At the other side of the room was a turn, leading off towards the left and further into the treasure hold. Honeydew was just about to saunter his way across when fire suddenly leapt up from special vents in the floor. The Dwarf jumped and stumbled back, only to be caught by Tinman behind him. The robot then steadied him before taking a step back, another hard glare apparent on is features despite the kind act. Flames rhythmically sprang out from the vents along the floor, some dying away just as others started. Xephos scratched his head at this.

"Looks like we'll just have to run for it. I'll go first, I guess…" He took a breath and a few steps back, waiting for the perfect moment to cross the fire. He saw a break in the flames and instantly darted across, the fires nearly catching him as he did. He reached the other side and turned back towards the others, smiling a little again.

"I'm alright!" He called back. He watched as Honeydew looked over at him, a worried look now all over his face.

"Um, Xephos..."

"What?"

"Your coat's on fire."

Xephos looked down to see the end of his trench coat had caught fire like Honeydew had said. He instantly shook the thing from his shoulders and stomped on the flame, trying to put it out best he could while still ridden with mild surprise. Once the flames were extinguished, he picked the coat up to examine the damage. Part of the end had been singed clean off, and the area around the missing fabric was charred black. The Spaceman sighed and slipped the trench coat back on, looking over towards his comrades as he did.

"Try and take it step by step, then." He told them. "It'll be much safer, by the looks of things."

Eventually, Honeydew and Tinman crossed the fire without harm, only going when the flames in front of them dispersed. The three then began their way down the new hall, eventually coming to a dead end. Xephos stepped forward to examine the material blocking their way.

"Is this wool?" He asked, feeling the fluffy substance. Honeydew stepped forward and examined the strange material as well.

"I think it is. It's dyed black, too. How the hell did they get so much wool to block a hallway?" He asked. Both heroes then felt Tinman tap them on the shoulder. They turned to see the robot point to a note on the wall, quickly scribbled onto the stone with charcoal.

_KILL IT_

_KILL IT WITH __FIRE_

"That's…an interesting statement..." Xephos commented. Honeydew turned back towards the wool, pulling out his Flint and Steel.

"Well, if it insists…"

With that, the Dwarf quickly set the black wool alight. The immediate area grew brighter as the fire grew in size, slowly beginning to eat away at the dark-colored wool. More wool lay behind the first layer, seeming to continue back a few good meters. The three then waited as the hall cleared out from the blockage. Xephos leaned back on the wall and folded his arms over his chest, eyes closed as he thought. Honeydew walked over and leaned against the wall beside him, taking another chance at talking with the Spaceman.

"So… what's the Nether like?" He tried. Xephos opened an eye and glanced over to him before he closed it again.

"Hot." He answered.

"Ah. Did you see Daisy?" Honeydew asked next.

"Yeah."

"Really? Is she alright?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Oh. I guess that's good to hear, then."

There was another awkward silence before Honeydew spoke up again.

"What're you thinking about?"

"Things."

"What kind of things?"

"Personal things."

"Anything you'd like to talk about?"

"No."

Honeydew gave a small sigh, crossing his own arms over his chest. This was getting them absolutely nowhere. He looked over to see that most of the wool had been burned away, revealing a staircase that lead down into another room. Xephos looked up when he heard the fires die away before standing straight, continuing past the charred remains of some leftover wool and down the staircase. Honeydew and Tinman followed after him.

The party then entered another room, the frame around the doorway resembling that of a Nether Portal. The three walked forward a little ways before the path suddenly ended. Over a ledge sat a gigantic pool of lava, the red hot liquid bubbling up far below. Hanging from the ceiling were two platforms, each equally spaced over the lava and leading to the other side where the path picked up again. Xephos peeked over the ledge and down towards the molten rock below.

"How the hell are we getting across this?" He asked, taking a step back and away from the ledge. Honeydew just shrugged as Tinman looked around. The robot's glowing green eyes saw another stone pressure plate hidden on the ground. Like before, he stepped onto it. In an instant, a bridge had appeared over the lava, connecting the first hanging platform to where they were now. Both Xephos and Honeydew jumped in surprise.

"How'd that get there?" Honeydew asked. The bridge disappeared when Tinman stepped off of the pressure plate, the stone gone as quickly as it had arrived. Xephos noticed the pressure plate for the first time, and he quickly made the connection in his head.

"Can you stand on top of that again, please?" he asked the robot, pointing down at the stone plate on the ground. The robot simply gave a nod and did as told. The bridge appeared in the blink of an eye again. The Spaceman gave a nod of thanks before he grabbed Honeydew by the arm and dragged the Dwarf across the bridge, safely making it to the other side. Once the two had crossed, Tinman stepped off his plate, allowing the bridge to disappear again. On the hanging platform sat another pressure plate. Xephos stepped onto it, and another bridge appeared ahead of them, this one connecting the two hanging platforms. He then motioned for Honeydew to cross it. The Dwarf gave another hesitant glance down at the lava in response.

"Well, go on." Xephos urged. "I won't step off."

Honeydew looked at him before he slowly made his way across the bridge, knowing that a single misstep could end his life. He made it onto the other platform and found a third pressure plate. Honeydew stepped onto it as Xephos' removed himself from on top of his. The bridge between the two platforms stayed, but another had formed so it connected the second hanging platform to the other side. While Honeydew stayed put, Xephos ran past him and over to the other end, finding yet another pressure plate there as well. He stepped on it, allowing Honeydew safe passage over onto soild ground again.

"Well, glad that's over." Honeydew sighed, glancing back at the lava below.

"But wait, we left Tinman behind." Xephos told him. He pointed back over the lava to where they had started. Tinman was simply and silently staring over to them, unable to make it across by himself.

"Um, don't worry friend! We'll come back for you!" Honeydew called over.

"Yeah! Just wait there! …Or something!" Xephos added. Although the robot made no movement, the two guessed that he had heard them. Honeydew and Xephos then turned and continued down the hall, eventually turning another corner and heading down some more stairs.

"In truth, I don't really want to go back for 'im. He's creepy." Honeydew whispered over to Xephos after a moment. The Spaceman glanced over to him.

"But he's Isabel's first mate though, isn't he? We have to, or else she'll be pissed."

"Damn it, forgot about that."

Soon the two came upon a crossroads of sorts. The hall continued forward a few feet before it turned another corner, leading somewhere out of sight. Before that, a wooden staircase led somewhere up to their left. The two heroes looked at each other before their gaze shifted back to the two paths.

"Which way?" The Spaceman asked. "Or should we split up?"

"I say we both head up." Honeydew replied after a moment, jerking a thumb over towards the stairs. Xephos gave a nod in response before the two began to quickly ascend the rickety old staircase. It led up to an empty room, the only thing interesting inside a glass wall. The two entered the room and looked out through the glass. Before them sat a gigantic maze, the walls of it constructed entirely out of obsidian. A few giant spiders could be seen scuttling over a wall before they dipped out of sight again, more popping up elsewhere a few moments later. All the way across the other side of the maze sat a massive skull, carved out from the stone wall behind it. Large chunks of gold had been jabbed up into the skull's open jaws, forming gigantic yellow teeth, and the eye sockets glowed red from fires that sat inside them. Xephos' jaw fell open at the sight while Honeydew just groaned.

"Oh, hell's bells! We're going to have to cross that, aren't we?"


	24. Chapter 24: The Maze and the Dragon

**Separated**

**Chapter 24: The Maze and the Dragon**

* * *

The two heroes stared at the gigantic maze for a few more moments before they turned to face each other. Both looked equally concerned about the challenge ahead of them.

"I guess the start of the maze is down the rest of that hall." Xephos said after a moment, seeing no other exit from the room besides the way they had come. Honeydew just gave a sigh.

"It looks dark. I think we only have one torch left. We better make it count." He mumbled, reaching into his bag and pulling out the torch. Xephos nodded and turned to continue down the wooden steps again, Honeydew following close behind. They reemerged into the corridor they had come from and continued down it. The two then came to the maze's entrance; the stone floor changed to a pattern of red and black tiles, and the room opened up slightly before it narrowed into the maze's first hallway. Xephos and Honeydew stepped forward, looking around the immediate area again. The Dwarf then scratched the torch's head against the wall, setting it alight.

"You go first." Honeydew whispered, nudging Xephos forward slightly. The Spaceman glanced back at him before he sighed, drawing his sword from its sheathe and beginning his way into the large obsidian maze.

"It's just a few spiders, Honeydew. There's not much of a—" Before he could finish, an explosion suddenly happened directly in front of them. Xephos fell to the ground from the force, barely managing to hang on to his diamond straightsword as he did. All he heard after the blast was a single high-pitched drone, and the room seemed to spin as he lay there, dazed. He thought he heard the sound of more explosions somewhere nearby, but everything was drowned out by the ringing drone in his ears. Suddenly, he felt someone grab his arm and hoist him to his feet, pushing him forward. The world suddenly came alive again to Xephos as Honeydew urged him forward with his free hand.

"Don't just stand there! Get going!" He yelled, giving Xephos another shove forward. The Spaceman then regained the rest of his senses and broke off into a sprint, now aware of the wails and cries coming from above. The two heroes then ducked around the first corner they came to, staying pressed against the wall. A few fireballs flew overhead, striking down somewhere else in the maze.

"What the fucking hell is going on?!" Xephos yelled. He looked up in an attempt to see what was firing at them. Honeydew had already taken out his crossbow and loaded it, shoving the torch into the Spaceman's hands for a moment.

"It's a Ghast! How in blazes did it get in here?" He cried. Ghasts were horrible flying creatures rumored to live only in the Nether. Their bodies were filled with very flammable gas, allowing them to float around and shoot fireballs from their mouths. They also had long white tentacles used to grab and squeeze the life out of anyone who got too close. Xephos' eyes widened in shock.

"A _Ghast_? Shit! You better not miss!"

"Believe me; I'm not planning on it." The Dwarf replied. He aimed the crossbow upwards and waited a moment, trying to see where the fireballs were flying from. After a minute, he saw it; a large, oblique shape floating above the maze, only made visible from the light of one of the fireballs. In an instant he fired two bolts into the Ghast's flesh, and the sound of what resembled a balloon popping followed. The creature screamed in agony before another, bigger explosion followed. The crossbow fire had set the explosive gas in the creature's belly alight, and now the Ghast was no more. Honeydew smirked before he heard Xephos cry out beside him. A spider had climbed over the obsidian and had pounced onto the Spaceman, sending him to the ground. However, the Dwarf watched as the tip of Xephos' blade suddenly stuck out of the spider's abdomen, and he kicked the limp body off before standing.

"You alright?" Honeydew asked, picking up the torch from the ground. Xephos had dropped it when the spider attacked him. Xephos simply grabbed the Dwarf by the arm and took off running again.

"No time! Just run!" He called back. He decapitated a spider with a single swing as he ran by it, sending greenish-yellow blood pooling across the floor. The two then came to a split in the maze. Xephos skidded to a stop and looked between the two paths, eventually leading Honeydew down the left corridor.

"Whoa, slow down, man! I can only run so fast!" Honeydew yelled, still getting pulled along by the Spaceman in front of him. He then heard a hissing directly behind him, and he fumbled for his pick before he swung. The hissing from the spider was then cut short. Xephos let go before he swung at another, much larger spider, using both hands to cleave its skull into two. The Spaceman panted and kicked the arachnid aside, looking over his shoulder and back at Honeydew.

"There's a technique I know to get through mazes. Just follow the left wall; we should be out in no time!" He yelled back. Honeydew then watched as he charged forward, slashing at something as he ran into the darkness. The Dwarf followed him, stopped momentarily when another spider landed in front of him. It snapped its massive jaws at him before he squished its head under his heavy iron boot. Honeydew then continued forward again, doing as Xephos had instructed and following the left wall. A light became visible as he rounded another corner. The Dwarf then gained a burst of speed as he ran towards it, soon emerging out of the maze and in front of the steps that lead up into the skull they had seen before. He saw Xephos already at the top of the steps, leaning on a massive gold tooth as he caught his breath. Honeydew followed him up, still panting as he strapped his bloodstained diamond pickaxe back to his belt.

"Well, we certainly got our exercise in for today…" Honeydew muttered. Xephos stood straight and looked around, sheathing his straightsword on his back again.

"Honeydew, look!" The Spaceman then pointed to a large chest sitting against the wall. "The treasure! We've found it!"

"Well it's about fucking time!" Honeydew yelled. He felt a toothy grin form on his face as he took a step towards the chest. Suddenly, a familiar figure stepped out from the shadows, causing Honeydew to stop in his tracks.

"Tinman?!" Xephos gasped in surprise. "How did he get here?"

"But…we…he was…the maze…HOW?!" Honeydew exclaimed, looking between Tinman and the large obsidian maze behind him. The robot remained silent as he looked between the two heroes, his buff metal arms folded over his chest again. He shook his head at them.

"Never mind Tinman for now." Xephos said after a minute, looking over at Honeydew. "Let's see what this Grimjaw guy has kept in here."

"Right!" The Dwarf smiled and walked by Tinman, kneeling down to open the chest. Xephos stepped up to glance over his shoulder. Despite the two's expectations, all that was inside was a computer disc and a broken button, looking like it had been torn from its place. Both of their jaws dropped as Honeydew let his head hit the wooden chest's rim, groaning in disappointment.

"Really? After all that?" The Dwarf asked, not looking up. Xephos sighed and pocketed the button before picking up the computer disc, figuring they could be of use later.

"I wonder what this does, then?" He asked. He noticed Tinman take a step forward, appearing to be staring at the disc. He looked between the robot and the disc before he offered it to Tinman.

"Uh, what're you doing?" Honeydew asked, standing.

"I think he wants it." Xephos replied, not taking his eyes off of Tinman. The robot continued to stare at the computer disc for a moment before he took it from Xephos. His lower jaw then slid out like a DVD drive, and Tinman fit the disc into the slot before his jaw retracted, returning to normal. The two heroes heard what sounded like a computer booting up before Tinman's good eye lit up again, projecting a light onto the wall.

There was some static before a video started playing. It depicted the steps the three were on now, and the chest could be seen off to the side. Xephos and Honeydew watched as a figure made his way up the steps, sliding his iron cutlass into its sheathe on his belt. The figure crept up to the chest and kicked the top open. The video did not show what was inside, but the two watched as the figure removed a single piece of parchment from the chest, tucking it away in his coat pocket. The figure gave a silent laugh, the video having no audio, as he turned around to continue down the stairs, allowing the two heroes a good shot of his face.

"Wait a minute, I know him!" Honeydew cried. "It's Jock! Jock_Fireblast!"

They watched as Jock danced back down the steps, jumping and clicking his heels together as he did. The video then cut off as the beam from Tinman's eye died away, the robot turning to face the two again.

"Who?" Xephos asked. His head tilted to the side in confusion.

"He's a captain that's staying over at Barbeque Bay. That thing he had, was that the map fragment?" Honeydew asked now, scratching his head under his helm.

"I don't know, but we should find him and ask him what he was doing here." Xephos replied. He looked around a bit. "Now, is there a way out of here, or do we have to go through the maze again?"

The three looked around the room again. After a few minutes, Xephos noticed an indent on the wall by the chest. After studying the size, he pulled out the broken button to compare. It was a perfect fit, and after he slid it into place and pressed it, a panel moved and slid into the floor, revealing another long corridor. Honeydew and Tinman looked over at the sound of the panel moving.

"Wow, you're figuring out a lot today." Honeydew joked, giving his a friend a nudge with his elbow. Xephos smiled a bit again.

"It's nothing." He replied. The three then began to make their way down the new hallway. The black and red flooring had turned to stone again, and the party soon found themselves in another room. It was large and completely empty. Honeydew soon noticed a sign above another cluster of wool by where they had entered.

_You know what this means..._

An arrow then pointed down at the wool. The Dwarf pulled his Flint and Steel before he set the wool on fire. The substance crackled and burned quickly as the flames spread back into an opening in the wall. Nothing seemed to happen at first, so Honeydew turned back to look around with the others. After a minute, Xephos felt something gritty drop onto his head. He looked up, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"Guys, I think we should back up…"

"What? Why?" Honeydew asked, looking over. Noticing that Xephos was looking at the ceiling, the Dwarf looked up to see what he was staring at. He gulped when he saw that the roof, having also been made of wool, had caught fire, and sand had started to trickle down through the openings.

"Everyone back into the hall! Now!" Xephos shouted, running past the two and back into the hall from which they had entered. Tinman grabbed Honeydew by the arm and rushed after Xephos, the roof giving way and sand cascading down directly behind them. Once everyone had made it into the hall safely, the three watched as the sand fell strategically into place, more of the roof burning away as it did. It formed a ramp up and around the room, leading somewhere out of sight. Once most of the sand had settled, the group stepped out into the room again. Xephos took a few steps up the slope and looked up to see how far it went.

"I think I see sunlight." He called back, squinting upwards. Honeydew and Tinman began to follow him up the slope. The three then climbed their way upwards, struggling to keep their footing in the constantly slipping sand. After making their way up and around the first bend, the sand began to disperse, uncovering sandstone steps that lead up to the surface. Sunlight revealed many strange marks and hieroglyphics on the walls, some barely visible after many years of being buried. The sandstone stairs led them up to the top of a ruined building, most of it seemingly buried under a desert. Xephos covered his eyes until they adjusted to the light while Honeydew took a look around.

"So we're in a desert now?" He asked, studying the horizon. "It doesn't look like we're in the one by The Wall, but seriously, where on Minecraftia are we?"

"I'm not sure, pal." Xephos replied. His eyes finally adjusted and he looked around. Passing through the arched structure of the exposed part of the buried building, a path continued down another slope before it cut through a couple of trees, right where the desert ended. He could just make out the shape of another building in the distance, its domed roof barely making it above the tree line. Tinman also conducted a brief survey of the immediate area, scanning a few hieroglyphics that were carved into the building's crumbling yellow-brown wall. The three then continued under the arch and stood before the path.

"Think this will take us back to Barbeque Bay?" Honeydew asked. Xephos shrugged, scanning the horizon again. He then looked to his left, and he felt his heart leap into his throat. There, standing atop a dune, was Israphel, arms folded neatly behind his back as he looked down at them. Xephos' grey eyes widened in shock and fear as he stumbled back, tripping over his own feet again. He fell back, sat up, and unsheathed his sword, pointing it towards the Dark Lord defensively.

"Israphel! Israphel's on the dune!" He yelled. The Dark Lord gave a smirk and disappeared as Honeydew turned to face the dune with his crossbow.

"What? Where?" The Dwarf asked. Xephos stood and pointed to where his friend was aiming.

"He was right there, I swear!" The Spaceman told him. "Gods, that nearly scared the crap out of me."

"You sure?" Honeydew asked, giving a worried glance over to his friend. Tinman had turned to look at the dune as well. Xephos moaned in annoyance, looking up towards the bright blue sky.

"Yes, I'm bloody sure! He was _right there!" _He insisted, stamping a foot down as he did. Honeydew looked between Xephos and the dune again, still looking uncertain.

"Maybe the heat's getting to you, bud. A little dehydrated, perhaps?" He tried. Xephos looked as if he was about to throw his sword down in anger before a loud thunderclap was heard. Instantly the blue sky became grey, dark, swirling clouds, having somehow filled the sky in less than a few seconds. Another thunderclap was heard as lightning flashed down in front of them, a torrent of rain beginning to fall as well.

"Ha! See? Israphel was here! I'm not crazy! I'm not!" Xephos yelled, pointing up towards the sky. Honeydew sighed.

"Fine, you're not crazy! Now stop yelling!" The Dwarf snapped back. Lightning flashed again, this time making a large structure visible in the distance. Both heroes looked over as Tinman adjusted his bandanna atop his head, trying to cover his exposed wires with it to protect them from the downpour. Lightning flashed again, lighting up the shape again. Just through a few trees sat a massive stone statue of a dragon. It sat tall with its tail stretching out behind it, the glint of the lightning reflecting off the obsidian scales that ran all down its back. Falling from its open jaws was a never-ending stream of lava, the molten substance pooling down somewhere out of sight. Both of the heroes' eyes widened in awe.

"Goodness, what the hell is that thing doing out here?" Honeydew asked. He fixed his metal helm upon his head again before charging down the slope, his diamond pickaxe already removed from his belt. "C'mon Xephos, let's check it out!"

"Honeydew, wait!" The Spaceman called back in response. His plea fell on deaf ears as Honeydew continued to charge towards the dragon, the stone beast looming ominously in the distance. There was no stopping him. Xephos sighed and sheathed his sword on his back again, taking off after the Dwarf. Tinman shook his head at them before he followed behind, much slower but keeping up nonetheless. The three then made their way towards the humongous statue, not knowing what lay ahead in the dark storm upon them.


	25. Chapter 25: Tomb Trouble

**Separated**

**Chapter 25: Tomb Trouble**

* * *

Xephos continued to chase after Honeydew, nearly slipping in the freshly-formed mud twice. He followed the Dwarf through a patch of trees and up a small hill. Honeydew was standing at the top, holding a hand over his eyes as he tried to squint past the thick torrent of rain. Unable to stop, the Spaceman slipped and stumbled before Honeydew grabbed the back of his collar. Xephos looked down to see a sudden forty foot drop, a small pool of water near the base of the cliff. If Honeydew hadn't caught him, he would have fallen straight off the edge.

"Thanks, friend." Xephos said, taking a few steps back after Honeydew let him go. The Dwarf gave a simple nod in return before both turned their attention back towards the dragon ahead of them, hearing Tinman's metallic movements coming up from behind. The lava pouring from the dragon statue's mouth lit up the area around it slightly, revealing that the molten material fell into black, churning waters below. Directly in front of the stone structure was an ocean, its end nowhere in sight on the horizon. Lightning flashed again, this time striking one of the dragon's obsidian scales along its back.

"Wow, did you see that?" Honeydew asked in amazement, pointing over to where he'd seen the lightning hit. Xephos just gave a nod before a sudden gust of wind blew past them, threatening to blow both of them off the cliff. Xephos held his footing until the wind died away again.

"We need to find some shelter for the night!" He yelled over the rain. Thunder sounded as lightning struck the ocean before them, somewhere near the foggy horizon far in the distance. Honeydew had to hold his iron helm atop his head to keep it from getting blown off as he looked over towards the Spaceman.

"Where? I don't see anything! Just a cliff and an empty field!" He called back, referring to the grassy field between the cliff they were on and the sea ahead of them. Xephos mentally cursed before he felt Tinman tap his shoulder again. He looked behind him to see the robot pointing at something off to their left, his single exposed eye glowing bright in the darkness. The Spaceman faced forward and looked where Tinman had been pointing, Honeydew trying his best to see as well. At first, all they saw was rain and darkness until lightning lit up the world once more. This time it revealed the domed building Xephos had noticed earlier. It sat a little ways off the shoreline, a large sandstone bridge connecting it to land. The building itself also appeared to be made of sandstone, much like the buried structure they had just been at over by the desert. The illumination from the lightning died away in an instant, barely giving the two heroes time to even process that it had even been there. Still, Xephos knew the general direction they had to head towards now, and that was all he needed. The Spaceman glanced down over the cliff before he took a few steps back, Honeydew noticing him do so.

"What're you doing?" He asked. Instead of replying, Xephos only entered a stance that showed he was about to break off into a sprint. The Dwarf's eyes widened in shock and minor horror as he tried to grab his friend as he ran by, only missing by an inch. Xephos ran and jumped off the cliff, entering a dive as he disappeared over the edge.

"No!" Honeydew ran closer to the edge and peered over, expecting to see Xephos' body crumpled and broken far below. Instead, all he saw was a ripple in the pool of water near the base of the cliff, and Xephos emerged a few seconds later. He swam over towards land before he looked up at Honeydew and Tinman, giving a wave and signaling for both to come down after him.

"It's plenty deep enough, trust me!" Honeydew could barely hear his friend's voice over the dull thud of rain all around them. Honeydew looked over the edge again, judging the distance between himself and the water. He gulped and took a calming breath, backing up and doing the same as Xephos had. After a moment of mentally preparing himself, the Dwarf took off in a sprint and jumped off the edge, beginning to fall fast towards the ground. After what felt like an eternity for Honeydew, he felt himself splash down into water. He let himself sink a few feet before he propelled himself up towards the surface, hand on his head to keep his helmet steady again. He took a breath and looked around, noticing Xephos waiting for him over on solid land. The Dwarf swam over, struggling a bit with his heavy armor, before the Spaceman helped him out of the water.

"Why do you keep scaring me like that?" Honeydew asked, giving Xephos a slight glare. "I thought you suddenly tried to kill yourself!"

"Well, I'm alive, aren't I?" Xephos responded, giving his friend a joking smile. In return he received a splash of water to the face, Honeydew having scooped up some with his helmet. The Spaceman sputtered and wiped his face as Honeydew looked up towards the top of the cliff again.

"I don't think Tinman's coming." He said, pointing upwards. Xephos looked up to see the robot peering over the edge down at them, his metallic grey skin barely visible in the dense storm. He seemed to shift uncomfortably.

"I don't think he likes the water." Xephos concluded. He turned and began to walk in the general direction he'd seen the sandstone structure. "Oh well, he'll catch up. C'mon, let's get into that building we saw already. I'm soaking wet and freezing."

"I suppose you're right." Honeydew replied, giving Tinman one last look before he turned and ran after his friend. After he'd caught up, both heroes began to run towards the sandstone structure, hindered only by a few zombies and giant spiders that had heard them sloshing through the wet grass. All foes were quickly cut down, however, and both Xephos and Honeydew could see the building just ahead of them now, dim torchlight now visible through the upstairs windows. Xephos stopped when he heard Honeydew cry out in surprise behind him, followed by a sharp hiss of pain. The Spaceman turned to see his old friend fending off a creeper, a deep red slash now across the explosive creature's body. It hissed again as Honeydew swung his pick into its skull. The creeper then fell over, dead, before another one came out from the fog to take its place.

Xephos ran back and grabbed Honeydew by the arm before pulling him into the water, thinking it faster to swim to the entrance rather than go around and take the bridge. Honeydew followed without question, the second creeper beginning to swim with its stubby legs after them. The two heroes quickly made their way to the door and climbed onto the end of the bridge, Honeydew already removing his crossbow from his bag again. With swift aim he struck the creeper in the head, the monster giving one last cry before it sank below the dark water's surface. Both heroes took a moment to catch their breath before they stood and headed inside, both out of the bone chilling rain at last.

The inside of the sandstone structure was small and circular. More odd runes were written all along the walls, very similar to the markings they had seen at the building by the desert. The room was dimly lit by a few dying torches, some areas of the room pitch black and not lit up at all. In the center of the lower floor sat an odd fountain, something that looked to be a giant throne directly above it on the second floor. Stairs led up to the upper area to their left, a few steps looking as if they were about to crumble away to dust. The entire building looked that way, in fact. Xephos slipped his coat off and began to wring water from it, not caring if it got wrinkled afterwards, as Honeydew started to look around.

"Oh my gods. Xephos, come look at this." Honeydew suddenly spoke up. Xephos slipped his trench coat back on and walked over towards his friend. Honeydew was looking down at an old coffin. The condition of the wood showed that it had been there for ages. Xephos fell in beside Honeydew and looked down at it, a nameplate barely visible in the bad lighting.

_RIP Professor Grizwald_

"Professor Grizwald!? Here?" Xephos asked in amazement. Professor Grizwald was a household name in Minecraftia. The famous archeologist was credited for many historic findings, his most famous discovery a long lost diamond mine of an ancient people, its contents still rich with both diamonds and other valuable gems. However, Professor Grizwald had gone missing on one of his adventures many years ago, and he was never found. The two heroes had never expected to find his grave_ here_, of all places.

"I can't believe it. We've found Professor Grizwald's tomb!" Honeydew exclaimed, looking around the room again. "Or is it his tomb? Perhaps he was buried here by chance."

"Yeah, perhaps." Xephos replied. The two then headed up the stairs to the second floor, deciding to wait out the storm up there rather than on the ground level. The upstairs was empty save for the odd sandstone throne and large, arch-shaped windows that made up most of the wall. Xephos and Honeydew walked over to see the dragon statue a little ways down the shoreline, brightly lit up due to the lava flowing from its jaws. Xephos then gave a heavy sigh and sat down, leaning back against the wall as Honeydew did the same. Silence filled the room for a few long minutes, the only sounds the storm outside and the occasional crackle of fire from one of the torches. It sounded as though the torrent of rain had finally begun to die down, but it was still too hard to tell.

Honeydew looked over towards Xephos, who had his eyes closed and arms folded over his chest again. The poor man looked exhausted; not just from the long day behind them, but from other stressful events besides that. Honeydew frowned again, noticing the Spaceman's head rolled to the side. He couldn't tell if his friend was asleep or not.

"Xephos?" He whispered. "You awake, pal?"

After a second, Xephos opened his eyes and glanced over towards the Dwarf. "Yeah, I'm awake. What do you want?"

"What's _really _been bothering you?" Honeydew asked. After a brief pause, he continued. "Don't try and lie to me again, Xephos. Anyone who knows you can see that you haven't been acting like yourself, and I know you better than anyone."

Xephos just looked at the Dwarf for a moment, who simply stared back in return, waiting for his answer. There was a long pause before Xephos sat up straight, lightning flashing outside again. Honeydew blinked and rubbed one of his eyes. For a moment there, it had appeared that Xephos' stern expression had changed with the lightning flash. Although half of his face had been shaded out, it looked as though the lit half had been twisted into a sinister grin, and for a brief moment Honeydew thought he saw his eye glowing red. However, the lightning faded and Xephos looked like he had been, looking back at his friend with an emotionless stare. The Dwarf dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"I…I really don't want to talk about it, Honeydew." He said after a moment, his gaze falling away again. Honeydew noticed his friend grip his right arm apprehensively. He had seen Xephos do this many times out of habit, and he only did it when – whether the Spaceman wanted to admit it or not – he was scared. Honeydew frowned again before he placed a hand on Xephos' shoulder, causing the Spaceman to jump slightly.

"I can only guess what Israphel made you go through down in the Nether, friend, and I understand if you want to keep it to yourself. Just know I'm here for you if you need it, alright pal?"

Xephos looked over and stared at Honeydew for a moment, looking his friend up and down. After a moment, the Spaceman spoke up again.

"Honeydew…" His eyes suddenly shifted when he saw movement behind the Dwarf. They widenened before he reached for his sword on his back. "Creeper!"

"What?" Honeydew turned around to see a creeper bent over him, expression locked into a silent scream as it began to hiss. The Dwarf could only cover his face before the creature blew its fuse. Honeydew was tossed to the side, hitting the wall with a grunt. He shook his head as he tried to get his thoughts back in order. He then reached for his pickaxe and pulled the iron straightsword out of his bag, looking around as two more creepers began their approach. He didn't see Xephos anywhere, and he guessed that his friend had been tossed straight out the window. Although he was worried for the Spaceman, his focus remained on the two creepers in front of him. He decapitated one to his right with the sword before running for the stairs, heading back down to the ground level. Two zombies and a skeleton were waiting for him, the skeleton having already notched an arrow to its mangled old bow.

Hearing the creeper behind him, Honeydew waited for just the right moment to dodge the incoming arrow. He dashed down the stairs as he heard the creeper hiss before it was cut off behind him, the arrow killing it instantly. Honeydew then slashed at a zombie as he ran by, managing to cut off its arm. He then made his way towards the skeleton. Before it could fire its second arrow, the Dwarf cleaved its skull in two with his diamond pickaxe, the rest of the skeleton's body clattering into a pile of yellowing bones. Honeydew then turned when he heard a zombie directly behind him, and he managed to decapitate it before it could lay a decaying green hand on him. He was about to finish off the other undead when a third zombie tackled him out of nowhere, taking the Dwarf by surprise. Honeydew cried out and tried to keep the zombie's head out of biting range, knowing that a single nip could prove deadly.

Suddenly, he heard a sword unsheathe before the zombie was kicked off of him, a black shoe colliding with its head. Honeydew gave a sigh of relief before Xephos helped him back onto his feet. He noticed that the Spaceman was soaking wet again, streams of water dripping off of his coat and onto the floor.

"Could you have cut that any closer?" Honeydew asked, half joking. Xephos rolled his eyes before he turned towards the two zombies, both slowly shambling over towards the heroes. In an instant both undead were taken down by expert attacks. Both Xephos and Honeydew were about to sheathe their weapons when an arrow grazed Xephos' arm, managing to draw blood. The Spaceman gripped the injury as he looked over to see more monsters enter through the building's doorway. Two skeletons, three more zombies, and a giant spider.

The spider leapt at the Spaceman, its jaws already snapping at his flesh. Xephos swung his sword to block the attack, a little clumsy now with his injured arm. He heard Honeydew run ahead to take the mob of other monsters head on. Figuring the Dwarf could handle himself for the time being, Xephos raised his sword again to sever one of the spider's legs from its body. It jumped back and his sword stuck the floor. The Spaceman then watched it try to get to his left and sink its fangs into his leg. However, Xephos was ready for it, and with a well-timed kick he sent it flying back a few feet. While the spider was stunned, Xephos readied his sword in his hands and stabbed it through the abdomen. The spider hissed in pain before the sound died away, becoming limp as the Spaceman removed his sword.

Meanwhile, Honeydew had led the horde over towards the back of the fountain at the center of the room. He had already slain half of the group by himself; one skeleton and two zombies. Xephos made his way over before he slammed the hilt of his sword into the skeleton's spine, causing the monster to stumble forward. Before it could turn to send and arrow through his heart, Xephos followed up by striking at the ribcage repeatedly. After a few swings, the skeleton was unable to stay together, and the bones of the undead then collapsed in on each other, forming another pile on the ground. Xephos and Honeydew then worked together to finish off the remaining zombie, the undead falling fairly easily.

"I think that's the last of them." Honeydew said after looking around. He returned his attention to Xephos after a moment. The Spaceman had sheathed his sword and was now examining the wound on his arm.

"How bad is it?" asked the Dwarf.

"Not too bad. I think the bleeding stopped itself." Xephos replied, pulling down on the rip in his sleeve to study the cut closer. It hadn't been very deep, so the injury had already started to scab and heal.

"You're lucky that arrow wasn't poisonous, mate. Poison in the bloodstream would be impossible to treat out here in the middle of nowhere."

"I suppose you're right." The Spaceman then fixed his sleeve and began back over towards the steps that led to the upper half of the sandstone tomb. Honeydew took a step to follow him before he stopped, noticing something for the first time.

"Hey Xeph, get a look at this." He said. Xephos turned around and noticed that his friend was looking at the back wall of the fountain. The Spaceman headed back over and started to examine the wall as well. It seemed that part of the wall had once been a entrance to something, but now it was blocked off with a sturdy wall of obsidian. Carved into the black rock was a notice. Once again, the lettering was barely visible in the dim lighting from the torches.

_DANGER_

_Tomb of the Dark Pharaoh Lehparsi_

_MAXIMUM QUARANTINE ZONE – Absolutely NO entry under order of High Templar Verigan Antioch_

"The Dark Pharaoh Lehparsi?" Xephos asked, reading the notice once again. "I've never heard of him."

"Neither have I, but he must've been bad news a long time ago. Maybe he was like...Israphel's brother or something." Honeydew replied. He scratched his head under his iron helmet before he gave a glance up to Xephos. "Think we should investigate? A Portal might be down there."

"Nah, we should leave it for now." Xephos replied, sticking his hands in his coat pockets before heading towards the sandstone stairs again. "After all, we need to get back to Barbeque Bay and sort this map problem out."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." The Dwarf replied, following his friend back upstairs. When Xephos reached the top steps, he suddenly froze and reached for his head, giving a moan as he did. Concerned, Honeydew rushed up to his side.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?" He asked, giving the Spaceman a quick check up and down.

"It's nothing. Just a wave of lightheadedness, I'm pretty sure…" he steadied himself with the wall before another wave hit him, causing Xephos to moan and tighten his grip on his skull again. Honeydew grabbed his friend's shoulder.

"Xephos?" He shook the Spaceman when he became unresponsive. "Xephos? Pal? What's wrong? Answer me!"

After a moment, Honeydew got a response he didn't expect to hear in the slightest; laughter. Xephos gave a low chuckle before it began to grow into a mad cackle, standing straight and throwing his head back as he did. Honeydew pulled his hand away and took a step back, confused and becoming nervous. Xephos then looked over at him, an evil smirk now stretched over his face. He suddenly blood-red eyes reflected the dying torchlight menacingly.

"Xephos…?" Honeydew tried again. He reached for his pickaxe before Xephos grabbed his wrist with surprising reflexes, twisting the Dwarf's arm so he couldn't move. Honeydew looked up to see Xephos shake his head at him, chuckling to himself again.

"Oh Honeydew, I don't think you quite understand…" He began. As he spoke, his free hand came to rest on the hilt of his sword. He then slid the weapon from its place on his back, looking down at Honeydew with his terrifying red eyes.

"This isn't Xephos you're talking to anymore."

With that, he raised his diamond sword with the intent to kill. Honeydew could only close his eyes and wait for the end, but to his surprise, it never came. He cracked open an eyelid to see the blade dangerously close to his neck, stopped. He looked over to see Xephos looking down at him, no longer grinning like a madman and eyes having returned to their dull grey color. He released his grip on Honeydew before he stared at the sword in his hand, sliding it back into its sheathe a moment later.

"…I'm sorry." The Spaceman murmured after a moment of silence. He turned away so his back faced his dwarven friend. "I…I didn't mean…"

"You don't have to say it." Honeydew broke in. He knew Xephos wouldn't attack him on purpose. There was another brief silence before the Xephos spoke up again.

"I guess you can see why I've been a bit distant now, huh?" He asked. Honeydew just gave a nod.

"Yeah." He paused. "...You could've just told me."

Xephos was silent again before he sighed. "No, I couldn't have." He then took a step to walk along the wall, keeping his head down as he did. Honeydew just reached over and rested his hand on his friend's shoulder again, gripping it lightly. It was enough to make Xephos stop.

"I just want you know that this doesn't change a thing." The Dwarf told him, a rare tone of seriousness lining his voice. "No matter what, you're still my best buddy. We'll get through this together, Xephos. You can count on that."

Xephos kept silent again, and thunder boomed somewhere in the distance. The clouds had finally begun to part, revealing the moon high in the sky above. It washed the land in a greyish-blue light, pouring in through the tomb's large arch-like windows.

"…Goodnight, Honeydew." The Spaceman replied finally, lightly brushing the Dwarf's hand off of him afterwards. Xephos then walked over took a seat against the wall, arms folding over his chest again. Honeydew simply stared at his friend's silhouetted form before he sighed, taking a seat on the opposite side of the room. He figured Xephos wanted some space.

"Night." He replied, yawning soon after he did. Another silence filled the room for the rest of the night, both heroes drifting in and out of sleep. As Honeydew felt himself start to doze off again, his thoughts drifted back to Nubescu's prophecy once more. Her words suddenly began to make sense, and part of him felt stupid for not realizing this sooner. Indeed, Xephos was facing a challenge far more great than Israphel or the Sands, or any other threat the Dark Lord had planned.

The Spaceman was stuck in a battle against himself.


	26. Chapter 26: Evidence

**Separated**

**Chapter 26: Evidence**

* * *

Honeydew woke up sometime the next morning. Light poured into the room from the arch-like windows, the sky having become grey and cloudy again sometime during the night. The Dwarf gave a yawn as he looked around. The room was exactly as he had left it, and Xephos was still against the opposite wall, head rolled to the side and appearing to still be asleep. He twitched a bit and shifted constantly, not seeming to be getting any rest at all. Honeydew then walked over and shook his friend's shoulder, causing the Spaceman to jolt awake.

"Huh? What?" Xephos sat up and reached for his sword, eyes quickly darting around the room.

"Everything's fine, Xeph." Honeydew told him calmly. "You're safe. C'mon, we need to find our way back to the Bay."

"Right…of course." Xephos cleared his throat and stood, absently fidgeting with his collar as a way to keep his hands busy. Both he and Honeydew then looked out the window, again noticing the grey sky above. A few rays of sunshine managed to burst through the clouds, and it appeared it was about a few hours after dawn. Honeydew sighed.

"So much for an early start." He muttered. Xephos just shrugged and kept quiet, the only sound from him a brief clearing of the throat. Honeydew looked over.

"Feeling any better, pal?" He asked. Perhaps engaging the Spaceman in some conversation would snap him out of his moodiness. Xephos looked over before facing forward, his dull-colored irises matching the clouds almost perfectly.

"A little." He replied. Honeydew smiled and gave him a friendly nudge with his elbow.

"Well, that's some good news in this whole shitstorm we're stuck in, right?" he joked. Despite his best efforts to cheer his friend up, Xephos still stared out the window and out towards the dragon statue thoughtfully, his brow furrowed ever so slightly. Honeydew sighed and began to make his way over towards the stairs.

"Well, guess we should be leaving. You coming?" He called back.

"Hmm?" Xephos looked over his shoulder, almost like he had forgotten about the Dwarf for a moment. "Oh, right. On my way." He gave another glance out the window before running after Honeydew, catching up as they both reached the door.

The landscape looked completely different than it had at night. A small clump of trees was now visible, most likely the back of the forest that had been nearby the path from the desert. It was still drizzling a bit, but it was obvious that the bulk of the storm had long since passed. A small herd of wild cattle had emerged from the nearby trees to graze on the freshly watered grass, and a few monsters that would regularly burn up in the day stood looming in the distance.

"It seems the cloud cover is keeping the mobs from getting damaged from the sun." Xephos observed, jerking a thumb towards a horde of zombies mindlessly wandering in the field nearby. "Mob" was a slang word common in Minecraftia, often used to describe any creature of the night that meant to do harm to Minecraftia's people. Honeydew looked over and mumbled something in his native language, adjusting his metal helm by one of the horns.

"Oh, happy day. Happy _happy _day." He grumbled. Xephos couldn't help but smile a little at his friend's reaction as they sloshed through the overgrown grass, heading towards the trees.

"Think we'll find that path again?" Honeydew asked after a moment, glancing back towards the Spaceman behind him. Xephos just shrugged in response. The Dwarf gave small sigh as the two entered the woods. They continued through a maze of trees before it finally opened up, the yellow-colored path brightly contrasted by the lush green foliage around it.

"Ah, here we are! That wasn't hard at all!" Honeydew exclaimed. Xephos followed him out into the clearing as the Dwarf unhooked his pickaxe from his belt, letting it rest against his shoulder as he walked. He began to follow the path through the trees, breaking out in a random song as he did.

"_Follow the yellow brick road! Follow the yellow brick road! Follow follow follow follow, follow the yellow brick road!"_

"I just love how you intentionally sang that off-tune." Xephos mumbled, sarcasm brimming on his voice. His pure annoyance caused the Dwarf to laugh. The two made their way through the trees before it opened up into another grassy clearing. It was smaller than the first, and the land was abruptly cut off by another large body of water. A little ways out across the sea was the remains of an old wooden ship, its tattered white sail still flapping in the wind. Near where the two were standing was another small pier, a single rowboat tied to it. Just on the horizon stood a tall wooden structure, large ships moored alongside it.

"Is that Barbeque Bay?" Xephos asked. He placed a hand over his eyes and squinted across the water, the light drizzle and some mist making it a little difficult to see.

"Please, please, _please _let it be Barbeque Bay!" Honeydew begged. He looked as though he was ready to fall to his knees and pray to Notch for it to be true. Xephos looked over and shook his head at the Dwarf.

"Oh, stop being a drama queen and get in the boat." He laughed as he made his way to the pier, casually letting his hands rest behind his head as he walked. Honeydew shot him a look, although he couldn't help but smile after a moment. At least Xephos was beginning to be his old cheery self again. Honeydew strapped his pickaxe back to his belt and followed after the Spaceman. Xephos had already taken a seat at the Rower's bench. He was about to reach for the oars when Honeydew climbed in and took them from him.

_"You_ rowing? We'll be out there for days." He joked. Xephos just rolled his eyes and stood.

"Fine then, Oarmaster. You do it." He replied. The two shared a chuckle before switching seats, Honeydew pushing off of the pier soon afterwards. The two heroes then made their way over the choppy water as Barbeque Bay grew larger in the distance. Xephos looked past his friend and squinted again, trying to make out a clearer view of the seaside harbor.

"Hey, I think I see Isabel's ship." He spoke after a moment. Honeydew stopped mid-stroke and glanced over his shoulder. Isabel's ship – the Black Pimple – now sat moored along the side of the Bay. It was so big that the very top of the main mast reached the second level of the town.

"Oh yeah, you're right." Honeydew replied, beginning to row again. "She sure got that breach fixed fast all by herself."

"Maybe she's part dwarf." Xephos inquired, sitting back and shrugging. Honeydew looked at him and laughed.

"The Peculier family? Pfft! I seriously doubt it."

A few minutes later and after a few more laughs, Honeydew pulled up to another pier. He placed the oars inside and hopped out of the small boat, Xephos following him a moment later. The local pirates were running up and down the wooden platform, most carrying loads of supplies used to repair the damage from the earlier battle. A few stopped and gave a Honeydew a wave or a friendly high-five before continuing on their way, another few looking at Xephos suspiciously as they passed. The Spaceman just frowned before he looked over at Honeydew.

"I had no idea you were so popular around here." He said. Honeydew smiled back at him as they began to make their way through the crowd.

"All part of saving the day, mate. It helps you get places." He replied, giving another hearty laugh. Xephos just shook his head at his friend before he started to look around at the hubbub around them. As he scanned the town, his eyes soon came to rest on a certain figure up by the stairs of the upper platform. Tinman was simply sitting on a crate with his head resting on one of his hands, looking bored despite his permanently blank stare.

"Hey Honeydew, look!" Xephos grabbed the Dwarf by the arm, making him stop. Honeydew followed his friend's pointing finger up to where Tinman sat. The robot had yet to notice them.

"So that's where he bloody went!" The Dwarf yelled. He pushed through a group of drunken sailors as he ran for the stairs. "C'mon, c'mon! Move it!"

Xephos followed Honeydew up the saltwater-corroded staircase and up to where Tinman was waiting. The robot sat up instantly once the two entered his line of vision. He jumped up to his feet and looked between them quickly. Honeydew couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"If he were a dog, his tail would be wagging like crazy right now." He said. Tinman then turned and began to make his way across the platform, stopping a moment to motion for the heroes to follow him. The two gave a simultaneous nod and ran after the humanoid machine, catching up easily as they made their way across the far less busy upper level. Tinman then stopped at what appeared to be an old pub, pushing the door open as voices became audible from further inside.

"By rights, it is mine and Jock's to claim!" An old Scottish croak yelled, most likely Angus_Eyeless.

"Yet _I _am the only one who can salvage it." Isabel replied a few seconds later. By the tone of her voice, it was obvious that her patience was beginning to wear thin. "That is, if my metal first mate ever returns…"

By now, Xephos, Honeydew, and Tinman had entered the main part of the building. Spacker_LeChuck was polishing a few glass mugs behind the counter, looking bored and irritated that one of his fingers kept falling off. Angus and Isabel were sitting at a table near the window, an excellent view of the sea surrounding the Bay just past the glass, and Angus' Greyhound slept by its master's feet. Besides those three, the pub was empty. Xephos stopped and stared at Spacker in confusion and amazement while Honeydew looked around. The two captains continued to bicker, having not noticed the heroes or Tinman yet.

"That abomination is a soulless terror!" Angus spat, slamming a fist down onto the table. His dog jumped awake before it yawned and rolled over, quickly dozing off as Tinman looked offended. "He should be melted down into scrap metal, I say!"

"Quiet or I'll cut your gizzard out!" Isabel snapped back, her hand instinctively reaching for a dagger hidden under her dress. Angus threw his hands up in the universal "hey man, be cool" gesture as Isabel calmed down, looking satisfied. The Dread Pirate then looked over and noticed the others for the first time.

"Tinman, heroes! You've returned!" She exclaimed causing Angus to look around in confusion. Honeydew smiled and was about to say something when Tinman stepped between him and Isabel. The robot pressed a button somewhere on his body before a slot opened up his chest. Xephos and Honeydew watched as a plethora of gold coins, gems, and other valuables poured out from the slot, both their mouths hanging wide open.

"How the hell did he cram that all in there…?" Xephos asked after a moment.

"Who cares how he did it? The bastard stole our bloody treasure!" Honeydew whisper-yelled angrily. The overflow of riches finally ended as the slot closed, Tinman stepping back to allow Isabel to examine the large pile on the floor. She gave it a quick overview before she smiled up at the robot, giving him a hug a few moments later.

"Ha-ha! I knew you could do it." She cheered happily.

"She's acting like a kid who was just given free candy." Xephos whispered aside, causing Honeydew to snicker at the Spaceman's remark. Tinman suddenly spoke a long chain of numbers again, his single green eye flickering with each syllable. Isabel looked up at him.

"And right from under their noses, too?" She repeated before laughing again. "Well done!"

"Hey, we brought him here! That deserves something!" Honeydew broke in, causing both Tinman and Isabel to look over. Angus was busy feeling his way over to the pile of gold so he could snag a few doubloons for himself.

"Ah yes, of course! Thank you, heroes. I owe you that grog I promised." Isabel said after a moment. She then looked at Tinman. "Tinman, give them the map fragment. They've certainly earned it."

Tinman began to speak in Binary again. Once he finished, Isabel frowned at him.

"What? Jock took it?" She asked. The robot nodded, taking a moment to slap Angus' hand away from the nearby pile once he got close.

"Nye, it cannae be true! He's prob'ly lyin'!" Angus yelled again, reaching for his now-sore hand from Tinman's slap. Isabel seemed to mull over the old man's words in her head.

"Jock is an old friend, despite our rivalry. The Jock I know would never do such a thing." She spoke, voicing her thoughts. "We can't know for sure if he's been corrupted! He could've just stumbled upon the treasure… I'm afraid we'll have to find some evidence."

"No problem. Where do we look?" Xephos asked. Angus looked around in confusion.

"Aye? Who be the newcomer?" He asked. Xephos was about to answer when Isabel cut him off.

"No one important. As I was saying, Tinman, Angus and I will search around the Bay. Xephos, Honeydew, you check Jock's ship. Something's bound to be around here somewhere."

"Where is it?" Both the Dwarf and the Spaceman ask in unison. They give a brief glance at each other before looking back at Isabel.

"Jock's ship is very unique. It sails in the sublevel of the marine environment. We call it…" She paused, either trying to remember the name or simply doing it for dramatic effect. "…an 'Underwater Ship'."

She used air-quotes as she spoke the name. Both heroes looked surprised.

"A ship that sails underwater, eh? Now that's impressive." The Dwarf commented.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute! I think we had something like that back where I'm from." Xephos spoke up after a second. "They had a different name, though. What were they called again? Sub…summer…subpar…ah bugger, I forget."

"We have no time to waste, mateys! Spacker, to me side! We need to get to the Mozzie quick as we can!" Angus suddenly spoke up. His dog awoke when he heard his master begin to leave, walking into the wall as he made his way towards the door. Spacker stifled a laugh before following his captain and the hound out, heading for their ship. Isabel and Tinman began to talk about a strategy as Xephos and Honeydew followed the others out. The Spaceman began his way back towards the stairs, trusting Honeydew would follow him.

"Alright, we need to find this "Underwater Ship", as Isabel called it. Any idea where to start, Honeydew?" He asked, descending the wooden steps again. Receiving no answer, he looked back to see that the Dwarf wasn't there.

"Honeydew? Notch damn it, where did he run off to now?"

As if to answer his question, the Spaceman heard a loud splash to his left. He looked over to see Honeydew breach the water's surface, laughing and spitting out saltwater as he did. Xephos sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Honeydew, you bloody idiot. You could've easily taken a misstep and seriously hurt yourself."

"How? It's just water, pal! Lighten up a bit." Honeydew laughed. He then turned and began to swim out towards deeper water, somehow managing to keep afloat despite all his heavy body armor. "Now follow me, I think I saw Jock's ship just a little ways ahead.

"Fine…" Xephos gave a sigh before he jumped in after his friend, becoming soaking wet once again. He swam after the Dwarf and easily caught up. Honeydew wasn't the best of swimmers, after all. After treading forward a minute or two, a shiny metal dome became visible up ahead, floating near the shoreline a few meters away. On top of it sat an obvious hatch; the only way inside, by the looks of things. The heroes swam up and treaded water beside it.

"So, this hunk of metal is the 'Underwater Ship'?" Honeydew asked. "It's less impressive than I thought it was…"

"No time for criticism, Honeydew. We need to get on top of this thing." Xephos replied, already beginning to study the hull of the ship. He swam halfway around the dome and over to the other side before he cried out.

"Aha! Here we go!"

"What?" Honeydew followed his friend around to see what he had found. Welded on to the side of the ship were metal bars, resembling a ladder of some sorts. The bars followed the curve of the hull and up towards the hatch on the top. Xephos had already begun to climb up by the time Honeydew reached him, just about halfway to the top.

"I think Jock's already down inside." Said the Spaceman. Honeydew grabbed onto the ladder and looked up at him.

"How can you tell?"

"Hero's intuition, I guess." Xephos shrugged and waited for his friend to follow him up, not really having an answer for Honeydew's question. The Dwarf then climbed to the top of the hull and studied the metal hatch blocking their entrance. It looked sturdy and appeared to be locked. Someone obviously didn't want people getting inside.

"Hang on, I got this." Honeydew said after a moment. Xephos watched as his friend cracked his knuckles and pounded a fist on two precise places on the hatch. He then gripped the handle and pulled, causing the slightly-rusted iron to creak. Almost instantly two bolts popped out from their places on the hinges, and the hatch swung open a moment later.

"Impressive." The Spaceman commented as Honeydew peered into the ship's entrance. A ladder led down a few feet before it stopped at a wooden floor. The Dwarf then smiled up at Xephos as he moved to head down the ladder.

"All in a day's work. Now let's see what ol' Jock's been hiding down here…"

Xephos gave a nod and followed Honeydew down into Jock's odd metal ship, not bothering to close the broken hatch behind them. Once they reached the bottom, both looked around to take in the new area. Despite the cold iron appearance on the outside, the interior was quite homely. The main room was a small library, tall mahogany bookshelves taking up most of the walls. The front of the ship was entirely constructed from a thick, nearly-indestructible Plexiglas, providing an excellent view of the waters ahead for whomever was piloting the controls stationed nearby. Honeydew nearly jumped out of his armor when a large school of fish swam in front of him, catching the Dwarf by surprise. While scanning the room, Xephos' eyes came to rest upon Jock_Fireblast on the other side of the room. The captain was staring at them, fear reflecting off of his hazel-colored eyes. By now, Honeydew had noticed him as well, and the Dwarf instinctively reached for his pickaxe. Jock's eyes widened as he threw his arms to cover his face.

"Please heroes, don't harm me!" He cried. He suppressed a terrified whimper as he tried to make his voice ring true with his regular authority again. "You must listen at what I have to say!"

"Well go on then, say it." Honeydew ordered, raising his weapon ever so slightly.

"That woman, she be evil…" Jock spoke again, referring to Isabel. He glanced around the room as if he expected someone to be listening in on the three before he continued. "Isabel isn't called the Dread Pirate for nothing. Her metal shipmate must've taken the map piece and framed me!"

"Do you have proof?" Xephos asked. He seriously doubted Isabel would do such a thing, and besides, Jock's demeanor wasn't making his alibi all that believable.

"Yeah, where's your proof!? You can't just go around and accuse people like that!" Honeydew added. Jock opened his mouth to answer, but he hesitated, as if he didn't know what to say. Just then Xephos noticed that the captain had positioned himself in front of a heavy iron door.

"Excuse me, but what's that room behind you?" He asked, trying to shift and see past the captain to see the door better. Jock, however, simply stepped in front of his line of sight.

"Oh, nothing, nothing. Just some hydraulics and machinery. It's messy down there." He replied.

"Mind if we take a look?" Xephos asked, beginning to grow suspicious. Why would Jock be so protective over simple machinery? Sure, it was vital to the ship's operation, but he would surely allow them a look around in there if they promised not to touch anything, right?

Jock glanced around the room again, his behavior becoming all the more nervous and jittery. He gulped and looked back at Xephos.

"No."

"Alright, listen here, you bugger." Honeydew then grabbed the captain by his coat and pulled his face close to his own. "You're going to allow us a good look around, and you're going to stand in the corner like some brat in a time-out until we're done, capiche? If I so hear a _peep_ come from your mouth, I'll…"

Xephos stopped listening as Honeydew continued on, beginning to study the room once more. He walked over to a nearby bookshelf and scanned the selection. Finding a book that seemed interesting, he reached to pull it from its spot. Jock noticed the Spaceman, and his eyes widened in fear again.

"No!"

"What?" Xephos asked, looking over. Too late; he had already slipped the book from its position on the shelf. It slid forward and locked into place, and the door behind Jock swung open with a _click_. Seizing the opportunity, Honeydew released his hold on the captain before pushing him aside, running into the next room.

"That's it! I'm seeing what's back here! You can't stop me!" He cried back.

"Damn it! Hero, wait!" Jock cried. He held out his arms to try and stop Xephos from getting past as well, but all the Spaceman had to do to get by was jab Jock in the side with his elbow. He ran past the disgruntled captain and after his friend. There was a short set of stairs that led down further into the ship, soon opening up into a roof where most of the floor wasn't there at all. The massive metal ship had been connected to a cave entrance this whole time, and a large hole led down into pitch black, the only safe way down a pair of twin ladders keeping to the wall.

"What the bloody hell is all _this!?"_ Honeydew cried, motioning his arms down at the gaping hole in front of them. Just then Jock ran into the room, nearly running off the edge and down into the pit.

"Oh, um, wow. I had _no _idea this was here…" He said, scratching his head under his Captain's Hat. Xephos shot him a look.

"Oh really? C'mon Honeydew, we're going down." With that, Xephos got into position before sliding down the ladder, lightly gripping the frame as he allowed himself to slip downwards. He heard Honeydew start to follow him a few seconds later, both now descending into the darkness at a rapid pace. Xephos felt his feet hit solid rock when he reached the bottom. Despite the cavern being completely black, he began to feel his way around. Hearing a thud, he assumed Honeydew had landed beside him.

"Holy shit, I can't believe it's so dark down here!" Honeydew yelled. His voice echoed around them, hinting that the chamber was rather large. Sounds of water came from directly behind them, but it was impossible to tell how much.

"You can say that again." Xephos sighed. He began to scan the room, despite not being able to see a thing. "I wonder what's down he- oh. Honeydew, you might want to turn around…"

Honeydew did as told and turned around. All the way across the other side of the cave was a Nether Portal, the purple glow barely doing a thing to light up the area around it. More dark sand had begun to pour out and pile around it, just like the others.

"Aha, Jock's a Cultist! He _is _evil!" Honeydew cried, his voice sounding triumphant. He suddenly gasped as he realized something. "Oh shit, Jock's evil! Quick, we need to tell Isabel!"

"Right! Is Jock following us?" Xephos asked. He heard Honeydew take a few steps towards the ladder.

"I don't think so-" He suddenly stopped and cried out in surprise. Before Xephos could ask why, he felt the Dwarf collide with his side. The two tumbled out of the way as the room suddenly became a lot brighter. Bubbling magma suddenly poured from the hole that lead upward, sizzling as it was quenched by the water around them. Jock had somehow thrown _magma _down at them, the stream never seeming to end as it covered one half of the platform they stood on. They were trapped.

"Gosh, you alright, pal?" Xephos asked, sitting up. The light from the molten material lit up most of the cavern, although a few corners remained draped in shadows. Besides the area they were on and the platform that supported the Nether Portal, the ground fell away to an large underground pool. It was impossible to tell how deep it went. Honeydew muttered something and fixed his helmet upon his head again, standing up as he brushed himself off.

"Yeah, I'm okay. That doesn't fix our problem, though. That damn pirate trapped us down here!" He yelled. Xephos sighed again as he began to stand. Suddenly, he felt something slimy grab his arm, and the Spaceman barely had a chance to cry out to Honeydew before the thing pulled him off the edge and into the pool.

Xephos felt himself begin to sink rapidly as whatever grabbed him slung an arm around his neck, its other appendage holding him back. Xephos choked at the sudden tightening of his throat, allowing some precious air to escape him as he began to struggle and kick at the humanoid thing holding him down. Despite his best efforts, it didn't let go, and he felt himself beginning run out of breath fast. He opened his eyes and tried to look for anything that might help, but the murky water was black as night. In one final effort, Xephos swung both his legs back in a mighty blow, hitting what felt like the creature's shins. It finally let go, and the Spaceman began to propel himself in the direction he thought was up. His lungs were burning now, but that didn't slow him down. Just when he thought he was unable to hold in his air any longer, he felt himself breach the surface. He took a gulp of air before he felt Honeydew's grip on his shoulder, the Dwarf pulling him back onto solid ground. Xephos flopped onto his back as he caught his breath.

"Are you alright, Xephos? I saw you slip into the water and didn't see you come up." He asked, looking the Spaceman up and down for any major injuries. It took a moment before Xephos could reply.

"Something grabbed me…not sure what…damn strong, too…" He panted, coughing after he spoke. The Spaceman then sat up and rubbed his neck. "Why is it that everything keeps trying to strangle me to death?"

"You have a very huggable neck." Honeydew replied, laughing a bit.

"Oh shut up."

Just then, the surface of the water broke again, causing both heroes to jump in surprise. Up from the depths came the waterlogged corpse of a drowned sailor, its skin a pale grey from death and lack of contact with the sun. The zombie moaned and tried to haul itself up onto land as it reached out for Xephos again. However, the Spaceman was ready this time, and in a split second he had drawn his sword and decapitated the undead thing. The body fell limp and slipped under the water's surface again, and the creature's head bounced before falling into the stream of magma nearby. The smell of burning flesh was almost sickening.

"Gods! Was _that _what grabbed you?" Honeydew asked, strapping his pickaxe to his belt again. He had grabbed it in a moment of panic.

"I think so." Xephos replied, standing up. He looked around when more moans began to echo around the chamber. "And I think it had friends."

"How are we getting across to the portal, then? We still need to put it out." Honeydew reminded him. Xephos quickly scanned the pool separating the two from their goal. He thought he saw a few more zombies' heads breach the surface, but they sank back under once he turned to look at them, the only thing left behind a small ripple on the glassy surface.

"Well…" Xephos adjusted his grip on his sword before looking over at his friend. "I guess we have to go balls to the wall with this one. In we go!"

With that, the Spaceman dove into the pool, resurfacing only a few moments later. With the sword still in his hand, he began to make his way across as fast as he could, slicing up any corpse that tried to surface and attack. Honeydew looked at his friend as if he was crazy before he sighed, jumping in after him. Despite the disadvantage, both heroes managed to hold off the underwater horde fairly well. Only once did Xephos hear his friend get yanked down, the Dwarf resurfacing a few seconds later. He coughed and sputtered before the Spaceman pulled him up onto dry land, Xephos having reached it only a moment sooner. Judging by the moans, a few zombies remained hidden in the pool, though none dared to follow the two up. Both Xephos and Honeydew stopped to catch their breath before they turned to the portal.

"Go on, break it, Honeydew." Xephos spoke after a brief moment of silence. He motioned towards the obsidian frame when Honeydew looked over. After giving a nod of acknowledgement, Honeydew gripped his pickaxe and raised it to strike the portal down. He then paused, thinking of something.

"Hey, Xephos, we're trapped down here, right?"

"I've noticed. Why?"

"Well, we have a portal here, and no exit over there, so…"

"Wait, you're not serious about going through the thing, are you?" Xephos asked. His expression suddenly changed to one of deeply-rooted fear. Honeydew made note of his reaction. Of course his friend's time with Israphel and the Nether weren't the happiest of memories.

"Well, yeah. We could find another way out somewhere else down there. Hell, we could rescue Daisy while we're at it! Wouldn't KP be thrilled if we show up with his girlfriend out of the blue?"

"Well, that all sounds fine and dandy, but…" Xephos paused as he scratched the back of his head, glancing down at the ground momentarily as he did. He briefly recalled the tight security at Israphel's base, especially around the holding cells. "I don't think you understand what we're dealing with down there…"

"Oh c'mon! We're the heroes! We can do anything!" Honeydew urged. He nudged his friend in the side playfully. "I'll watch your back if you get scared of the dark, pal. Don't worry 'bout it."

"Fine." Xephos muttered, mostly to himself. He then spoke louder. "But don't come crying to me if a horde of fifty buffed-up zombies suddenly come from nowhere, alright?"

"Alright. Now let's go!" Honeydew then grabbed the Spaceman by his sleeve and dragged him towards the portal. Xephos' expression changed again, as if the reality of what they were doing had suddenly hit him full force.

"Honeydew, wait, I'm having second thoughts!"

"Too late now, pal!" Honeydew laughed another one of his hearty dwarven laughs. He ran up to the portal and jumped through, dragging the Spaceman with him. A distorted sound came from the portal as the two then disappeared through it. Where they would end up was out of their control.

* * *

_Author's Note: OH. MY. GOD._

_LONGEST. CHAPTER. EVER._

_Heya guys. Sorry this took a while. Not only was this chapter the longest to write so far, I also had to put up with computer problems, general laziness, and a really stressful week of school. Oh well. Despite how much of a pain in the arse this thing was, it's one of my favorites so far. Xephos and Honeydew's interactions and bickering are always fun to write. :D_

_Welp, hope you enjoyed! See you all next time~!_

_~DR_


	27. Chapter 27: Playing With Fire

**Separated**

**Chapter 27: Playing With Fire**

* * *

Xephos and Honeydew went tumbling out the other side of the portal, landing in a two-person dog pile on the hard new terrain. Instantly Xephos was up on his feet and held his sword in his hand, frantically looking around the area for any hellspawns Israphel had cooked up for them. Honeydew stood and brushed himself off.

"Well, that felt…weird." He said after a moment. The feeling of going through a Nether Portal was definitely an odd one. Noticing Xephos, Honeydew reached out and tapped him on the shoulder. The Spaceman gave a shout of surprise and nearly dropped his sword as he whirled around. Seeing Honeydew, his expression changed to a mix of anger and relief.

"Notch damn it, Honeydew, don't startle me like that!"

"Alright, sorry! Sheesh. It's your fault for being so jumpy." The Dwarf muttered in response. Both heroes gave the other an irritated glare before looking forward, noticing the area in detail for the first time.

Instead of all-around fire, lava, death and despair, the two were surrounded by an odd black metal, enclosed in a room with no exit except back through the portal from which they came. Constructed from the same black metal was an old computer terminal on the opposite wall, large screens positioned with the massive control panel directly below them. The screens glowed green as encoded text flashed across every now and then. Both Xephos and Honeydew stood silent for a moment, taking the odd sight in.

"Well, uh… this certainly wasn't expected." Xephos said finally, walking over to the terminal as he stroked his goatee.

"Yeah, seriously." Honeydew replied. He noticed a window on the left side of the room. He walked over and looked outside. A red, flesh-like material made up the entirety of the terrain, forming what looked like a large cave system. A large lake of magma sat a little ways ahead, more streaming in from somewhere above.

"Now _this _is what I was expecting." Honeydew continued, pointing outside as he glanced over towards Xephos. Xephos looked over and out the window.

"Yeah, same. Even Israphel's fortress wasn't made of this stuff." The Spaceman replied, looking around the strange bunker again. "It was some weird brownish-black brick. I wonder why this place is so special."

"And then there's _this _bloody thing." Honeydew began, waltzing over to the terminal and kicked the side of the control panel. "I mean, look at it! It's so…unnatural! Even dwarves don't go this far! This doesn't belong here, Xephos! It doesn't!"

By now Honeydew had grabbed his friend by the shoulders and was shaking him in slight panic. Xephos grabbed the Dwarf and pushed him off.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. This is close to the stuff I had to work." He replied, looking at the flashing green screens again. "Wish I could hack it and see what Israphel's been up to, but it's all encrypted. It's no use."

The two sighed and gave another glance around the small black room. Silence followed before Honeydew spoke up after a minute.

"So…what do we do now?" He asked, looking back over to Xephos. The Spaceman began to stroke his goatee again, and the Dwarf could tell that he had entered some deep thought.

"Well…either way, we're stuck. This metal looks hard to dent even with a diamond pickaxe, and it's not the smartest idea to run around blindly in a place we barely know." He spoke after a moment. "Besides, Jock's still on the loose back up in Barbeque Bay. We need to stop him before he does anything rash." He stopped stroking his goatee and looked at the Dwarf. "I say we head back through, break the portal, and dig ourselves a way up. How does that sound?"

"It's the best idea we have. Now c'mon, this place freaks me out…" Honeydew replied. Xephos nodded before the two walked back towards the portal and jumped through. The same feeling of uneasiness passed over them again before they emerged back on the other side. The underground cavern was exactly as they had left it. Honeydew then pulled his pickaxe from his belt and dismantled the portal's obsidian frame. It crumbled within the first few swings.

"Well, step one and two are done. Now for step three…" Honeydew then stepped around the ruined portal and faced the wall. He fixed his grip on his diamond tool and began to work his way through the solid rock, eventually forming a slight slope upward. Xephos avoided any stray rubble as he reached for his sword, just in case any mobs decided to try and sneak up on them. The further they dug from the cavern, the darker it grew. Honeydew stopped a moment to dig around in his bag, eventually managing to find an unlit torch.

"Aha! So we weren't completely out, after all!" He cheered, lighting it. He mounted it on the wall before he began digging again, Xephos still standing vigilant near the entrance of the tunnel. After a few more minutes of digging, the sound changed as Honeydew's pickaxe struck the wall, signaling a thinner portion of rock.

"I think we found an opening!" He called back. Xephos looked over his shoulder and ran over.

"Is it the surface? If so, we were way less deep than we thought."

Honeydew shrugged as he began to dig again.

"I don't think so, but it could be. All we need now is- GOOD LORD!" The Dwarf jumped back when a decaying green fist punched straight through a weaker portion of the rock. The arm thrashed around before it slipped back through the hole it had created, multiple moans and groans now audible through the other side.

"Oh gods, we've hit a dungeon!" Honeydew yelled, reaching into his bag to pull out the iron sword. Upon hearing the word "dungeon", Xephos grabbed his sword off his back and looked towards the wall. Another zombie had reached through the enlarging hole in the crumbling stone, and the Spaceman severed it from the body instantly. The owner let out a moan of pain and the zombies around it began to grow angry.

"Shit! What do we do?! They'll knock the wall down any second!" Honeydew yelled. Xephos grabbed the torch off the wall and faced forward again.

"Just keep digging! I'll hold them off!" Xephos responded. There was a large cracking sound as the stone finally gave way, allowing a few zombies to shuffle into the narrow tunnel. They became disoriented when Xephos shoved the torch in front of their faces, not used to the bright light. The Spaceman took the opportunity to decapitate all of them in a single swing as Honeydew rushed by, stabbing another undead through the chest with his iron sword as he did. The dungeon was small, yet zombies were packed nearly wall-to-wall inside. Xephos stabbed the torch through another zombie's eye, its dead flesh catching fire instantly. He then kicked it into another cluster of undead, and soon enough all of them went up in a mini-inferno before falling into dust. By now, Honeydew had found an area to continue digging upward. He had already made some decent progress when his pick struck a patch of softer stone. It cracked, and water began to seep through the newly formed gaps. The Dwarf's eyes widened when the cracks began to grow bigger.

"Xephos, get down!" He yelled, running and ducking to the side. Xephos looked over and raised a brow at him, but by then it was too late. The stone gave way again, and a large rush of water instantly flooded the room. The torch sizzled out as the dungeon became dark and cold. Xephos felt himself collide with a few zombies before his back struck the wall, disorienting him for a small moment. The current of the rushing water threatened to pull him back down through the tunnel that lead back into the main cavern. He managed to find a grip on the wall, but it was slipping. He cursed silently in his head, feeling his fingers beginning to be forced away from the stone. His grip finally gave out, and he felt himself began to get dragged back.

Xephos was trying to latch onto the wall again when he felt someone catch his arm. Honeydew! With surprising strength, The Dwarf dragged both of them against the rushing stream of water and towards the opening. Once Xephos found a decent hold again, he took his arm back from Honeydew and followed him out. Now with the bulk of the current behind them, the two swam upwards as fast as they could. It grew lighter and lighter with each stroke, and soon both their heads breached the surface, sunlight warming their cold faces. Xephos took in another large gulp of air and began floating on his back. He heard Honeydew splash around beside him.

"I'm getting real fuckin' tired of all this water…" He muttered. Xephos gave a weak laugh before it turned into a cough. Once gaining his breath back, Xephos stopped floating and looked around. They had emerged in the waters surrounding Barbeque Bay, and the metal hull of Jock's ship was visible a few yards away. Xephos gave a sigh before Honeydew's voice caught his attention.

"Xephos, the Bay's on _fire_!"

"What?!"

Xephos whirled around to see that his fears confirmed. One of the four main supports was beginning to become engulfed by unnatural red flames. Shouts of surprised and frightened sailors were carried over the water towards them, and the shapes of pirates were visible diving off the side of the main platforms and into the water. Xephos snapped out of his staring and began to swim over towards the burning town. Honeydew noticed him and snapped out of his own trance, beginning to follow as fast as he could. A laugh dripping with pure evil and twisted enjoyment soon broke out, its echo drowning out the panic of the pirates elsewhere.

"Hahaha! With those two idiots dead, I'm free to burn this place to a crisp!" Jock's voice called. He laughed again. "This is easier than Mistral City!"

Honeydew suddenly stopped swimming, taken aback by the evil pirate's words.

"Wait a minute, _Jock _burned Mistral City? Does that mean Lysander's still on our side?"

"No time, just go!" Xephos shouted back to him. The Spaceman climbed up onto the wooden walkway just as a thundering crack was heard. The first wooden support had split in two, and part of it gave way and splashed down into the water. The entire town rocked at the sudden shift of weight, causing Xephos and a few sailors running past him to nearly fall face first. The Spaceman regained his balance as Honeydew climbed up next to him.

"Where's Jock?" The Dwarf asked, pulling his pickaxe and sword as he looked around. Xephos quickly scanned the area. Almost the entirety of the lower level was on fire now, save for the small portion of platform near them.

"He has to be upstairs! Come on!" Xephos shouted over the roar of the flames. The sound was almost deafening now. Honeydew gave a nod and followed his friend through a maze of burning debris. The sound of more wood splitting echoed across the water as the upper level began to go up in flames as well. A decent-sized crack had formed down the center of the platform by the time Xephos and Honeydew reached the top, the two having taken a flight of barely standing stairs like before.

Jock was standing just ahead of them, silhouetted against a plume of red fire as he watched the inferno around him. He threw his head back in another dark laugh before he turned to take his leave. His hazel eyes widened, his irises almost seeming to be red as they reflected the flames' light.

"_You?!_ But how-" He stopped himself before his hands curled into fists, glaring at the two before him. Xephos and Honeydew simply readied their weapons and glared back at the pirate. Suddenly Jock pulled his blade; an odd-looking iron rapier that seemed to have another, red-colored metal infused into it. Without warning he jumped over a small gap in the wood supporting them and slashed for Xephos' neck. The Spaceman simply shifted and brought his blade up to defend himself, halting Jock's attack. The two then engaged in a brief bout of swordplay, both sides parrying, jabbing, and swinging at the other. Honeydew could only stay back and study both men's expert form, clearly an equal match for each other. Seeing how his pickaxe and straightsword would be of no help, he tucked both away and pulled out the crossbow, loading in a bolt and taking aim. He then fired at Jock, causing the pirate to shift in surprise when the shot whizzed by his head. However, he was only distracted for a moment, and he blocked a stab from Xephos before shoving him backwards. The Spaceman stumbled and nearly fell back down the burning staircase, only to be saved by Honeydew's quick reflexes.

"He's getting away!" Xephos shouted, balanced on his feet once again. He pointed over to the fleeing form of Jock with his sword, who was running and weaving his way through the fire like the heat never touched him. The two heroes followed suit, working their way after the captain with their best efforts. They soon came to an area located near the center of the upper platform. The inferno was smaller here, and the large crack they had seen from below was now even larger. The top of Barbeque Bay was basically severed in half. Almost as soon as Honeydew stepped foot into the open, Jock leapt through another plume of the red fire and rushed the Dwarf. His fist collided with Honeydew's jaw as he turned to face the pirate, knocking the Dwarf back and straight into the ruined wall of a building with a grunt.

"Honeydew!" Xephos called, fearing for his friend. The Dwarf groaned and looked up, seeing his friend take a step toward him. Just then Jock gave an angry battle cry, slamming into Xephos and tackling him the ground. The Spaceman shouted in surprise, the force of Jock's body-slam enough to knock his diamond sword right out of his hands. It clattered down beside Honeydew, who was still a bit dazed from being punched into the wall. It took him a moment to realize that Xephos was in danger, but when he tried to rush to his friend's aid, he couldn't. Honeydew looked down to see that part of the wall had collapsed when he'd smashed into it, pinning his leg to the ground.

"Notch damn it!" he cursed angrily. As he attempted to get his leg free, the Dwarf looked over to the battle raging nearby. Some of the inferno had spread between him and the other two men, so Honeydew only caught glimpses. Jock had Xephos pinned to the ground, one hand gripped firmly onto the Spaceman's neck while the other held an obsidian dagger. The pirate raised his arm to stab Xephos through the chest when the Spaceman's hand shot up to stop him. Honeydew heard the two tussle a bit as the fire shot up to block his view again. Xephos, a black ring already beginning to form around his right eye, now had the upper hand as he had managed to roll Jock under him. The two were still wresting for the dagger, but a sudden jerk of the platform collapsing caused the weapon to slip from their collective grasp and plummet over the side. Jock cried out a couple of curses before he brought his fist up to Xephos' jaw, performing a powerful (and painful-looking) uppercut.

Honeydew looked away momentarily and grabbed Xephos' sword, quickly wedging it under the rubble that trapped his leg. He then used it as a makeshift lever, providing enough force to lift the debris a few inches off of his trapped leg. He pulled it free and quickly stood, his foot a little tingly from lack of blood to it. Honeydew looked over towards the brawl again when he heard Xephos cry out. While the Dwarf hadn't been paying attention, Jock had pinned Xephos down again. He grabbed the Spaceman by the collar of his shirt before heaving him up and slamming him back against the wood. Xephos grunted in pain before Jock tossed him to the side. He caught himself right before he rolled off the edge and into the deadly mix of fire, wood, and water below.

Xephos grunted again, trying to pull himself back up onto the wooden platform. He stopped when he heard Jock's menacing laugh directly above him. He then felt the pirate's boot stamp down onto the fingers of the one hand keeping him from falling, increasing the pain and loosening his grip. Xephos cringed as he looked up to glare at the corrupted captain. Jock's almost-red eyes stared back.

"Any last words before I send ye down to Davy Jones' Locker, Spaceman?" He asked, applying more pressure to Xephos' numbing fingers. The Spaceman cringed again, but he never took his eyes off of the pirate. He suddenly smirked when he noticed something behind the pirate.

"Just one thing…" He began. Suddenly, the tip of a diamond sword protruded from Jock's chest. Blood instantly began to seep from the wound, and Jock's expression was frozen into one of shock and immense pain. Honeydew removed the sword from the captain's back, causing more of his lifeblood to spurt out from the injury. Jock bent over in pain, allowing Xephos to grab him and pull his face close to his own. The Spaceman was still smirking as he stared into Jock's frightened eyes.

"Payback, bitch."

Xephos finished his earlier statement before he flung Jock over the edge. The captain managed to give one last yell as he fell before it was abruptly cut off as he hit the remainder of the lower platform. A loud, audible snapping of bones followed soon after. Both Xephos and Honeydew stared down to where Jock_Fireblast had hit, each giving identical sighs of relief as well.

"That could've gone a lot bloody better." Honeydew muttered, helping Xephos back onto stable ground. Xephos opened his mouth to reply when the entire wooden structure shifted again, more sounds of snapping wood echoing all around. The Bay was finally beginning to collapse into itself.

"…Shit." Both heroes mumbled under their breath, unintentional unison forming between them once again. Honeydew quickly handed Xephos his sword back before the two ran for the edge of the platform. Without much thought, both dove off the side and into the water far below, resurfacing a few moments later. The two turned just in time to see the upper level of Barbeque Bay fold inwards and down onto the remains of the lower half. The entire thing then sank below the ash-ridden water, the evil red flames quenched at last.

The sound of cheering suddenly reached the two's ears from elsewhere around the Bay. Xephos and Honeydew turned around again, noticing for the first time the many ships and sailing vessels anchored nearby. The entireties of the crews on each were dancing and celebrating, and a few ships fired cannon shots as makeshift fireworks. Both Xephos and Honeydew had expressions a mix of confusion, relief, and happiness as they watched the display.

"Well, at least everyone made it out alive… I think." Honeydew spoke after a moment.

"Hey, look. Isabel's coming around to pick us up." Xephos then pointed to the Black Pimple sailing around another ship, directing its course towards the two. When the pirate ship was close enough, the two could make out the shape of Isabel on the deck, waving at them with a huge grin on her face. She had Tinman pull up beside the two heroes before she threw down a rope ladder, allowing them to board. Xephos and Honeydew gratefully accepted.

"Gods, what a day…" Honeydew panted once he reached the deck. Xephos leaned on the Black Pimple's intricate side railing, looking equally exhausted as his dwarven associate.

"Tell me about it… Ow!" The Spaceman winced as he brought two fingers up to his freshly-made black eye. It stung upon the lightest pressure.

"You two were brilliant out there!" Isabel exclaimed. She walked up to the two and pulled them into a group hug. Xephos and Honeydew felt awkward again, mainly because Tinman was still staring them down with his judgmental green eye.

"Um, sure thing, Isabel…no problem." Xephos said. Isabel released the two and gave a childish giggle. She looked over to where main part of Barbeque Bay once stood, and her tone regained most of its regular seriousness again.

"Although Barbeque Bay has fallen, you two have stopped a powerful enemy this day." She began. She then pulled something out of a small pocket hidden on her dress. Honeydew looked as she handed Xephos the folded piece of parchment. "I found this floating in the water right before the Bay went up in flames. I'm guessing it's what you two were looking for."

Xephos unfolded the paper and examined it closely. Honeydew's eyes widened when he recognized some of the runes and markings written on it.

"It's the map fragment! We've found it!" He exclaimed. He punched a fist into the air before he looked towards Isabel. His demeanor instantly changed as he cleared his throat, making his voice deepen into a more seductive tone. "That is, we couldn't have done it without you, Miss Isabel. I humbly thank you."

"Oh, it wasn't a trouble at all." The Dread Pirate replied, her cheeks beginning to redden again. Xephos just rolled his eyes. After a moment, Isabel spoke up again. Her tone and expression showed she was a little unsure of herself for once.

"Also, heroes, before you leave, I wish to tell you my tale. You deserve to know it." She said. Xephos and Honeydew looked at her a moment before they nodded.

"Go right ahead." Xephos replied. Isabel took a calming breath before she looked back at the two, beginning her story after another second of thought.

"You two have spoken of a knight named Peculier, yes? Well, he is my brother, and if you ever see him again, tell him that I am sorry. I never believed him when he spoke of Israphel, the pale-faced man. But what I saw in Jock's eyes today showed me that I have been blind.

Our family has a sad history, you see. When we were young, our parents were taken from us. I was too young, but my brother remembers. He has told me many times about that fateful night. A terrible evil came and took our mother away, and soon afterwards, our father disappeared as well. Ever since then we grew up under the care of our uncle, the Templar named Adaephon. But when I was sixteen, I could stand it no longer, and I soon left without a word.

Many years have passed since then. I've stolen the rare Glowstone from faraway lands, and have found golden hordes buried away on the Tiki Isles. I've battled corrupted priests, and have even snapped the diamond teeth from dead dragons' jaws."

"Holy shit, that's badass." Honeydew added when Isabel paused for a moment. The pirate soon picked up where she left off.

"However, as much as I've tried, I couldn't escape my legacy. It was a dark and stormy night, and I was asleep in my bed below deck. I was awoken by the sound of the door slamming open, and when I looked up, _he _was there…" Isabel shivered at the memory. Xephos and Honeydew didn't have a hard time figuring out who exactly _he _was.

"Anyway, just when I thought I was done for, the door swung open again. In a moment of madness, I thought my father had come to the rescue, but I soon realized that wasn't the case. Israphel turned to attack the figure, and he managed to permanently damage my protector's eye with his dark magic. Still, Israphel was chased away, and I finally got a good look at my savior…"

Isabel smiled as she looked over to Tinman, who gave no response. "A metal man, and even after his thrashing from Israphel, he stayed by my side to protect me for the rest of the night." Isabel looked back to the heroes as she continued.

"So, I patched him back up and dubbed him Tinman. I've never believed my brother's ramblings of Israphel until that night, and now that I've seen his evil portrayed through Jock, I know I can ignore it no longer. If you find my brother, tell him that both he and you, heroes, will have my sword in the final battle. Also tell him that I'll be sailing to Icaria, just in case he needs to contact me sooner."

Isabel looked out across the water thoughtfully, noticing the sun beginning to slip below the horizon again.

"Oh, it's getting late. You two should stay the night before you embark on your quest again. I can tell you are exhausted after your efforts." The Dread Pirate then pointed towards the door that led below deck. "I have plenty of free cabins downstairs. Feel free to pick any that suit your fancy."

"Thanks, Isabel. We certainly appreciate it. C'mon, Xeph; I'll even read you a bedtime story." Honeydew laughed a bit at his joke as he began to head below deck. Xephos, even though he'd been listening to Isabel, had drifted off deep into his thoughts again. His expression showed that whatever he was thinking about deeply worried him, but Honeydew had snapped him out of it.

"Oh ha-ha, very funny…" The Spaceman muttered. Isabel giggled as she watched the two head down the stairs and around the corner. She smiled a bit and went to attend to some duties, Tinman loyally following behind.

* * *

A few hours later, Honeydew snapped awake when he heard a strange noise outside. He mumbled something incomprehensible before he sat up, looking around the small cabin. His eyes fell upon the opposite wall, and the Dwarf noticed that Xephos wasn't in his bed. Honeydew, wide awake now, climbed out of his own bed and looked around again. Judging from the moonlight through the porthole, it was sometime very late at night. Why would Xephos be up at this hour?

Curious, Honeydew headed out into the hall and up onto the main deck. It was empty, but he heard the noise again. It came from down along the side of the ship. The Dwarf walked up to the railing and peered over. With the help of the pale moonlight, Honeydew could just make out Xephos loading up a small dinghy with a few supplies. Isabel had pulled up to anchor her ship next to land sometime when they were asleep, so Xephos was having trouble getting the old rowboat off of the sand and into the water. Confused, Honeydew climbed over the rail and dropped himself onto the beach, landing nearby where his friend was working.

"Xephos? You're…you're leaving?" He asked, finally piecing together what the Spaceman was doing. He saw Xephos tense when he realized the Dwarf was with him. The Spaceman then gave a sigh, not even bothering to look the Dwarf in the eye.

"Honeydew, listen, I can explain." He began. He was about to continue when he was cut off by his friend.

"And you we're just going to do it without telling me? What the hell's with that?! Some friend you are, leaving me out here with little to no idea to what I'm supposed to be doing." Honeydew continued, his voice beginning to grow angrier as he spoke.

"Honeydew—"

"What would've I thought if I woke up in the morning and no one knew where the bloody hell you were? Israphel could've kidnapped you again for all I knew, just like he tried with Isabel!"

"Honeyd—"

"And just after a few days of getting you back, you run off again? You don't think I'm worried for you, pal? If not, I fucking am! Here I am worried sick after you disappear for what, a week? More than that? Then all of a sudden I find you again, you barely say a word of what happened, and you bloody try and disappear again! How could you do this, Xephos? I thought we were—"

"Honeydew, for the love of Notch, _SHUT UP!_" Xephos suddenly snapped, whirling around to face the Dwarf. His voice echoed around the quiet waters, almost all of the partying sailors having retired hours ago. Honeydew was taken aback by how much asperity was in his friend's tone. The Spaceman held a glare that made Honeydew feel ashamed for what he had been accusing his friend for. The Dwarf just sheepishly looked at the sand, kicking a pile awkwardly as he didn't know what to do. After a minute, Xephos' hardened expression softened.

"Sorry." His reply was a bit clipped, but Honeydew could tell he still meant it. There was a long silence between the two before Honeydew spoke up.

"So this is it? You're leaving for real?" He asked. Xephos scratched the back of his head, looking over towards the rowboat.

"Yeah, for now. It's not like I'll never see you again." He replied. Honeydew thought he sounded a little uncertain.

"At least tell me why." The Dwarf tried. Looking closer, he could tell it hurt the Spaceman having to leave as much as it hurt him to see his friend go. Xephos gave a sharp exhale out of his nose, looking up towards the moonlit sky as he tried to come up with some decent excuse.

"I'm dangerous, Honeydew." He replied at last. The Spaceman looked back down and over towards his longtime associate. "Israphel's been messing with my head. You saw what can happen. I just…don't want to hurt you. Or anyone."

"I've already told you, I don't care what's wrong with you. You're still my pal." Honeydew replied. "Besides, I'm pretty sure I could beat you in a fight anyway."

"Thanks, but that's not the point." Xephos sighed again. "Listen, I'd just feel a lot better if I spent some time alone. Besides, I know about the map fragments now. It'll be faster if we split up to look for them, right?"

There was a pause before the Spaceman spoke up again.

"I understand if you hate me right now, Honeydew. Just try and realize that I—" He stopped when the Dwarf suddenly pulled him into another of his signature bear hugs.

"Just stay the hell away from trouble, you crazy bastard." Honeydew told him. Although his tone was a little harsh, Xephos knew that this was just his friend's way of saying goodbye. The Spaceman smiled slightly as the two parted the embrace.

"You watch yourself out there, too." He replied. Honeydew gave a small nod, his own lips curling up into a grin as well. Xephos then walked back over to the rowboat and shoved the thing into the water, climbing in. As he sat down in the Rower's seat, he looked back to Honeydew back on the beach.

"I'll see you soon, pal." He said.

"Yeah, see you soon." Honeydew replied. The two heroes simply stared at each other for a moment before Xephos pushed off with the oars. The Dwarf watched his friend row off into the nightly mist until he could see the Spaceman's dinghy no longer. It had vanished in the night, and so had his closest companion. Honeydew gave a heavy sigh, looking back out across the smooth surface of the water one last time. Satisfied, he turned and headed back to Isabel's ship, hoping to get a few more hours of sleep before the sun rose into the sky once more.

* * *

_Author's Note: I swear, these chapters just get longer and longer._

_Hey guys. :D So yeah, Xeph and Honeydew are out on their own again. Wonder what misadventures they'll have by themselves? Will they ever run into each other again? You'll have to wait and see~_

_And for those of you screaming "BUT DR, YOU FORGOT ABOUT THE VISION-THINGY!"; just hold your horses. I'll be getting to that next chapter. Gosh. XP_

_Well, that's it for now. You'll get your next _Separated _fix sometime later this week, hopefully. Until next time!_

_~DR_


	28. Chapter 28: Visions

**Separated**

**Chapter 28: Visions**

* * *

Xephos continued to drift along with the waves, having stopped rowing some time ago. He now lay back against the bag of supplies he had taken from Isabel's ship. Surely Peculier's sister would understand if a few things were missing, but if not, he'd just have to face her wrath sometime in the future. Xephos dragged the edge of a knife across a slim wooden stick, shaving a bit of the bark off as a point began to form on the wood's end. After a while, the Spaceman sighed and put both away.

"So much for keeping my hands busy…" He mumbled to himself. He tucked his arms behind his head and stared up at the crescent moon high above. Its grey light barely managed to break through some clouds surrounding it, and it almost seemed to focus a spotlight around Xephos and his rowboat. Xephos yawned as his eyelids begin to grow heavy. Despite his persistence to stay awake, he soon found that he just couldn't do so any longer. As Xephos began to drift off to sleep, he couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. Still, he soon slipped into a deep slumber, as if some outside force was urging him to do so.

* * *

"Xephos! Xephos, wake up!"

Xephos jumped awake to see Honeydew hunched over him, his friend's strong grip clamped down on both of his shoulders. Instantly, he shot up into a sitting position.

"What? Honeydew?! By Notch, did you follow me out and drag me back?" He asked. He felt some anger beginning the rise towards the Dwarf, but it was quenched by the time Honeydew replied.

"No! Honest! I woke up here and found you beside me!" He yelled. Xephos sighed.

"So, where exactly _is_ 'here'?" He asked. Honeydew helped him stand before the two took a good look around. Everything was black. The empty void seemed to stretch on forever, and the only sound was the echo of the two's voices.

"I'm scared, Xephos." Honeydew whimpered, absently hiding behind his slightly-taller companion. Xephos sighed again; they were in deep shit if _Honeydew _of all people was getting frightened. The Spaceman turned towards the Dwarf and opened his mouth to reply, but a new sound greeted their ears. It almost sounded like a machine booting up and whirling on, and suddenly a bright blue light shined from behind them. A tear in the void had suddenly opened up, and in an instant it had sucked the two heroes through it. Both could only let out a surprised yell before they were both enveloped by the bright blue light. Xephos felt himself tumble and get tossed around as he was dragged through the vortex, but he soon straightened out as the light finally faded. Xephos opened his eyes just in time to see himself collide with the new, flesh-like ground. He heard Honeydew crash down beside him.

"Gods, what the hell is going on?!" Honeydew yelled. He then groaned as he gripped his bare cranium. His helmet must've fallen off during the impact. As Honeydew searched around for his helm, Xephos picked himself up and looked around. The entirety of the ground was made up of the same strange material that made up most of the Nether. At first he thought he and Honeydew had been brought to the hellish place, but he knew that was wrong when he noticed the presence of a dark sky, fog, and the dried-out shells of dead trees. Honeydew recovered and placed his iron helmet back onto his head as he began to look around as well.

"Where are we now?" He asked. Xephos shrugged as a new voice suddenly broke the silence.

"This is the future, heroes." It spoke. Both turned towards the gruff noise to see a bulky old man standing a little ways behind them. Despite his obvious age, he was still very fit and muscular, looking to be almost at the top peak of health. Xephos looked the stranger up and down, noticing his absence of hair and a deep scar that lead through his milky right eye. Honeydew suddenly gasped.

"Verigan? Verigan Antioch!?" He asked.

"Wait, who?" Xephos looked towards the Dwarf as if he was crazy. Honeydew was about to explain when Verigan raised a hand to silence them.

"I only have a little time, heroes, so please let me speak. Both of you hold a piece of my map, so I am able to communicate with you through it." The old man began. "And as I've stated before, this is the future."

Xephos and Honeydew both looked around again, taking in the ominous surroundings again.

"This is a very pleasant future, now is it?" Honeydew said after a moment.

"Indeed. You see, this is the future that will come to be if you two fail in your quest." Verigan motioned a hand as the fog began to clear. More dead trees began to become visible, and nearby was a river of deep red lava, flowing in the place of normal water. Suddenly, the ground began to shake as a giant centipede stepped into view, each footfall causing a massive earthquake. Xephos had to grab Honeydew by the beard and yank him back to keep him from falling face-first. The centipede looked their way and hissed, beginning to turn towards them.

"Oh gods, it's coming this way! Quickly heroes, after me!" Verigan yelled. He grabbed Xephos' arm and dragged him forward, and since the Spaceman was still grabbing onto Honeydew, the Dwarf was dragged along as well. The three ran through a small patch of trees and alongside a narrowing ridge before Verigan suddenly stopped, causing Xephos and Honeydew to collide with his back. Honeydew muttered something as he peered around the next corner.

"Wait a minute, is that Tinman?!" He shouted, pointing around the rock formation they had stopped behind. Verigan shushed the Dwarf as Xephos followed his friend's finger. Just a little ways ahead was the form of Tinman, hunched over like he was deactivated again. He suddenly jerked and stood straight, and Xephos could see that his single green eye now glowed red.

"Crap, he's gone bad!" Xephos yelled in surprise. Verigan then slapped a heavy hand over his mouth to silence him. Still, Tinman had heard, and he was suddenly joined by an army of Tinman duplicates. Each robot looked over towards the three's hiding place. Xephos and Verigan then ducked for cover.

"An army of evil Tinmen?! Oh my gods, we're dead. We're so dead!" Honeydew yelled, beginning to panic. Verigan suddenly grabbed both of them, and in a flash of eerie blue light, the three were now standing at the top of a hill. The old warhero then pointed to a colossal stone statue of none other than Israphel.

"There, that is your enemy." Verigan said, turning towards the other two. "This future does not have to be. You can stop it! You must find my grandson - the one called Peculier - and help him fulfill his destiny! Unite the map pieces and stop the sand invasion, or else all is lost!"

"Whoa, back up a minute. KP is your _grandson?!" _Honeydew yelled at the top of his lungs. Verigan just nodded in reply. Honeydew just looked shocked and confused.

Meanwhile, Xephos had looked away from the stone colossus and down into the valley below. A platform had been constructed out of the same brick as Israphel's fortress, and stairs led up to a large obsidian throne. There sat the Dark Lord himself, leaning back in his seat with one leg folded over the other. Xephos could just make out his fingertips drumming together as he looked up towards the three. Their eyes locked for a moment, and Xephos felt a shiver run down his spine. Israphel then raised his hand, and for the first time the Spaceman noticed the sleek black shapes of dragons on either side of the Dark Lord's throne. Both of their massive wings unfolded, but only the one to its master's right shot up into the sky. Its dark purple eyes glowed as it came barreling towards them.

"Guys, incoming!" Xephos yelled. Both Verigan and Honeydew looked over, fear gripping both for a moment before Verigan grabbed the two heroes again. In another flash of light the group appeared back where they had started. Verigan snapped his fingers, and another rift in space opened up beside the two heroes.

"Quickly, continue your quest with this new knowledge in mind! You only have until—" He was cut off when the ground shook with an impact again. All three men turned to see the dragon fold its wings to its back, having landed only a few feet away. It let out a snake-like hiss before it roared, causing the land to rumble again. Xephos covered his ears to keep from going deaf as he felt Verigan push him into Honeydew and towards the portal.

"Go, heroes! The fate of Minecraftia lies in your very hands!"

"We can't just leave you here!" Xephos argued, reaching for his sword. Verigan ignored him as he turned to face the dragon. It gave another curious hiss as it drew closer.

"This is your last chance! Leave!" Verigan called back to them. There was a distorted sound, almost like a connection beginning to lose its strength as the rift behind them began to grow smaller. Xephos felt Honeydew grip the back of his collar and drag him backwards. As he was dragged through the rift, Xephos could just make out the form of Verigan facing a wall of black flames as they shot out from the dragon's maw. The portal closed, however, and he did not see the outcome. He suddenly felt Honeydew's grip disappear from his collar, and the bright blue light surrounding him suddenly grew black. The Spaceman then felt himself falling. Falling endlessly into the void. It grew colder and colder the farther he descended, yet he could do nothing to stop it as the world grew dark and silent around him.

* * *

Xephos shot up into a sitting position when he suddenly awoke. He was back in his rowboat; back in reality. Or at least, he hoped it was reality. The Spaceman had his hand on his sword as he frantically looked around again. It was still night, and the moon was only slightly lower in the sky. He figured he hadn't been asleep for long. Noticing that his dinghy had drifted to shore while he was sleeping, Xephos sighed and climbed onto the new land, taking a moment to catch his breath.

"Gods, what a dream…" He muttered. It had seemed so real. Was this man, this Verigan actually out there? Was he even still alive? The Spaceman finally recalled that Honeydew had told him about Verigan. He was the man who had ended Israphel's plans to take over Minecraftia the first time, and now the two were looking for the rest of his map.

As Xephos thought, he reached down and picked up his new supplies, quickly looking through them. He had a bag of food, some water, some torches, and a quiver full of arrows. The Spaceman then looked over to an old longbow he had taken from Isabel's weapon cache. Despite the fact he wasn't the best archer, it would still prove useful out on the field. The Spaceman gathered up his supplies before he strapped the bow to his back, making sure he could still reach his sword easily despite it being there. He then checked his pant pocket to make sure that the map piece Isabel had given him was still there. Seeing that it was, Xephos began to walk deeper into the mainland, leaving the old rowboat behind.

As he walked, Xephos began to think about his dream again. In hindsight, it seemed pretty pointless; of course Israphel needed to be stopped before he could take over the world. Still, the image of that dark future stuck in his mind, and it gave him some new motivation to keep going forward. He wondered if Honeydew had received the same dream as well. It was highly likely. His thoughts shifted again to the dragons he had seen laying by Israphel's throne. Based on what Honeydew had told him, dragons were extremely rare. Some Minecraftians even thought they had gone extinct. Israphel must've found and trained some sometime after taking over the world, but these looked...different. From what Honeydew had described, most dragons weren't jet black like that. Perhaps...

"Nah, impossible." Xephos voiced his thoughts after a moment. "Not even Israphel could figure out how to do _that..."_

As he walked, Xephos barely noticed that he had walked straight onto a path. It was constructed out of cobblestone, and it continued through some trees before it opened up near a lake. Curious, the Spaceman continued down the path and out into the clearing by the lake. He looked across the water, seeing nothing at first, but lighting suddenly flashed as rain began to fall. The sudden light made the shape of a large mansion visible just on the other side of the lake. The path he was on now seemed to follow the bend and lead over towards the other side. Perhaps he could seek shelter from the oncoming storm there.

Xephos then turned and ran down the path, not bothering to take out a torch for once. Despite the dying light of the moon as it slipped behind the clouds, he could still make out the path just ahead of him. He was about halfway to the lake when an arrow suddenly zoomed by his head, nearly making the Spaceman trip and fall in surprise. He heard a skeleton reload its bow as zombies began to moan behind him. The presence of monsters only made Xephos run faster. Only once did he slip on the now-soaked stone, falling to the ground with a loud grunt of pain. He would've been dead if it wasn't for another lightning flash that revealed a zombie just behind him. Xephos stood and decapitated it with a single swing of his sword, leaving the body as he took off for the mansion again.

"Hey, can anyone hear me? Someone help!" He yelled as he grew close. As he continued to shout, he noticed a few lights turn on through various windows around the mansion. He stopped for a moment to catch his breath, thinking he was safe. He knew he was wrong when he heard he familiar hissing of a creeper directly behind him.

Before Xephos could whip around and stab the thing with his sword, it exploded, sending the Spaceman flying forward. He landed beside the path and into a puddle of freshly-formed mud. Xephos spat out a mouthful of mud and grass before he stood. It took him a moment for him to get his equilibrium back, and for a second Xephos thought his leg might give out from an injury caused by the explosion. Despite his aching leg, the Spaceman continued forward, eventually finding the mansion's main door a little ways ahead. Most of the lights were on inside now, and he could just make out voices coming inside from the main foyer. Xephos reached the door and banged a fist on the wood.

"Hey, open up! Mobs are after me! Open up!" He yelled. With his injured leg and the rain, no way he could last much longer by himself. An arrow then pierced the wall beside him, and Xephos turned to see a skeleton about to send an arrow through his chest at point-blank range. Just then, the door opened behind him, and a hand with a strong grip yanked him inside. The door then closed before the skeleton could fire its arrow.

Xephos bent down and placed his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath again. After a moment, he looked up to see his saviors. Two men stood before him. The one on the left was much taller than the one on the right, and his dark tan skin was in much contrast to the other's white. The taller also was shirtless, wearing nothing but a Tiki mask and some traditional tribal clothing. The shorter man appeared to be older, and he wore a multicolored lei around his neck, oddly matching part of his curious red uniform and some old goggles atop his bald head.

Xephos looked between the two again, and his expression showed that he was downright confused.

"Um…thanks for letting me in, whoever you are." He said after a moment. The shorter man smiled.

"No problem, no problem! Anyone is welcome stay here at Skylord_Jasper's Summer Retreat!" He said. "I'm Skylord_Jasper, by the way, and this is my servant, Um_Bongo."

"It pleasure to meet you." Um_Bongo spoke with a thick tribal-sounding accent. It was clear that English was not his first language.

"Hey, wait a minute, Skylord_Jasper? That name sounds familiar…" Xephos took a moment to think about it. "…Oh, wait. You're the guy from Mistral my friend told me about. Do you know anyone by the name of Honeydew?"

"Honeydew? Oh, that's right, the dwarf Lysander was with!" Jasper's smile grew as he seized Xephos' hand, shaking it vigorously. "Well, and friend of Lysander's friend is a friend of mine! Feel free to stay as long as you like!"

Xephos smiled, although inwardly he was still very, very confused. From what Honeydew had described, Skylord_Jasper was not supposed to be this…jolly.

"Um, thanks. It means a lot." He replied. He suddenly felt Um_Bongo remove his trench coat from his shoulders.

"I'll have Um_Bongo clean that up for you. It looks filthy after that time in the mud and the rain." Jasper began. Um_Bongo left with Xephos' coat and through another door. "Now, can I get you anything? Tea? A Margarita, perhaps?"

"No, I'm fine, I'm fine." The Spaceman replied. Jasper gave a nod as Xephos began to look around the foyer. The whole place looked large and expensive, not to mention rather…pink. A marble staircase led up to the next floor near the very back of the foyer, and most of the floor was covered in a bright pink carpet. Parts of the walls were painted the same color as well. Noticing that Jasper was still waiting on him, Xephos sighed and pulled out the map piece from his pant pocket again.

"Hey, since you're here, do you know anything about this map fragment?" He asked. Skylord_Jasper's eyes fell onto the paper as he looked it over.

"Hmm, I'm afraid not. Sorry." He said after a moment. Xephos just tucked the map piece away again.

"It's alright." He replied. Just then Um_Bongo entered from the way he had left, carrying Xephos' now spotless crimson trench coat with him. Xephos' brow raised in surprise. He had sure gotten that done fast!

"Ah, here we are! Thank you, Um_Bongo." Jasper then took the coat and handed it back to the Spaceman, who slipped it back on a moment later. It was even dried, too!

"Yeah, thanks." Xephos added. Part of him thought the servant had just brought him a similar coat, but the burn mark in the back proved that it was his. Jasper had now turned and began to walk towards the marble stairs, motioning for Xephos to follow.

"Now as I've said, you're welcome to stay as long as you like. You're even allowed to go anywhere here in my retreat. That is, except for the basement."

"What's in the basement?" Xephos asked, his brow rising again. Jasper looked over his shoulder and back at the Spaceman as he walked.

"Why Skylord_Lysander, of course! He's been a naughty, naughty boy, you know." The Skylord chuckled as he turned to face forward again. Xephos stopped and stared at him.

"Lysander? Locked up?! Why?"

"You don't know? He burned Mistral City! I found him unconscious next to that creepy alter of his, so I dragged him here and tied him up tight!"

"But there's been a misunderstanding! Lysander is innocent!"

"Oh? Do you have proof?"

Jasper turned on his heels to face Xephos again, one of his thick eyebrows raised in intrigue. Xephos opened his mouth to give a confident answer, but as he thought about the proof he actually had, his chances of convincing Jasper that Lysander was innocent was pretty slim.

"Well, I don't have any _physical_ evidence on me right now, but I killed the man who burned down Mistral City. His name was Jock_Fireblast, a pirate from Barbeque Bay." He tried. Like he had guessed, Jasper didn't look all that moved.

"Likely story, but I can't be sure until I see real, physical proof." The Skylord replied, turning and beginning to climb the stairs again. He pointed off to a door to his left. "There are the guest bedrooms. Take any bed you like. For now, I'm heading to bed. See you in the morning, stranger! Um_Bongo, come along."

Xephos watched as Um_Bongo gave a nod and followed his master up into a room at the top of the stairs. The Spaceman then turned and headed into the guest bedrooms, placing his things down by the closest bed before sitting down. He simply sat there and waited a while, pulling out the knife and widdling the stick again as he listened to the storm still raging outside. After he was certain the other two were asleep, Xephos got up and left to go find the basement. He had to talk to Lysander. Honeydew had told him that some prophecy foretold a Skylord had possession of a map piece, and something told him the Lysander was the first part of the wild goose chase to come.


	29. Chapter 29: Escape to Skyhold!

**Separated**

**Chapter 29: Escape to Skyhold!**

* * *

Xephos groaned when the door he checked led him back to the main foyer. In his ten minutes of searching, he'd gone around the kitchen, back upstairs, through more guest rooms, back downstairs and down the entertainment hall.

"It looks way smaller on the outside..." He muttered. He crossed the carpet-padded floor and over towards another door, one he had yet to check. Unlike the others, a small plaque was hung above it. A single word was engraved in bright golden letters.

_Fungeon_

"Fungeon…? …Oh my Notch." Xephos' face then twisted into one of disgust, discomfort, and apprehensiveness. He gulped and pulled at his collar before he pushed the old door open. It creaked, and the Spaceman froze for a moment. When no one came to inspect the noise, he relaxed and slipped inside, closing the door behind him.

A large window partly lit up a staircase, the stairs once again draped with the bright pink carpet. Xephos quietly headed down to the manor's basement. At the bottom greeted him some unlit oil lamps, which he turned on with a turn of a knob at each of their bases. He could now make out an iron door, the lever that propped it open, and a large painting of Skylord_Jasper clad in black leather chaps and an unbuttoned leather vest. In the background was a brightly-colored rainbow.

Xephos only gave the odd and slightly-disturbing painting a short glance before he looked away, choosing to ignore it and push it to the very back of his mind. He then pulled the lever down, and the heavy door swung open after the sound of circuits and gears sounded somewhere in the stone wall. When the Spaceman stepped inside, an automatic electrical lighting system turned on, brightly lighting up the small rectangular space. It took a moment for Xephos' eyes to readjust, but once he did, he took a quick look around. The room was made of a reinforced stone, and one half of it was blocked off by a wooden fencing rebuilt to resemble prison bars. When Xephos looked in to examine the cell, he was surprised when he saw something familiar.

There sat Skylord_Lysander, stripped down to just his Aviator's helm, worn out grey pants, and a leather harness that formed an "X' across his back and chest. His hands and feet were bound by a sturdy looking rope, so he was stuck sitting against the wall. Both the Spaceman's and the Skylord's eyes lock after a moment, and both looked equally surprised.

"Mmmmph! MMMMPH!" Lysander tried to yell something through the gag fastened into his mouth. He tried to slip his wrists out of their bonds for what Xephos could only guess was the millionth time.

"Keep quiet down there, dear! Be a good boy!" Jasper's voice echoed down to them from upstairs. Xephos looked even more surprised. Jasper could hear Lysander all the way from up in his room but he couldn't hear the Spaceman rummaging around only a few minutes earlier?

His thoughts were broken when Lysander managed to spit the cloth keeping him from talking out of his mouth.

"Oh my Notch. Xephos! You're alive!" He yelled. When Xephos shushed him and pointed upwards, the Skylord spoke more quietly. He was about to say something when he looked at the Spaceman closer. "Good gods, man! You look horrible."

Xephos looked down at himself. Lysander was right; his clothes were beginning to become riddled with rips and holes, he could tell that his hair was a raggedy mess, and his black eye and limp from his recent creeper encounter wasn't making him look all that good either. He sighed and looked back up towards Lysander.

"It's nice to see you too, Lysander." He mumbled. The Skylord smiled before he frowned, his expression changing almost instantly.

"Listen, you need to get me out of here! Jasper's insane, I tell you! He kidnapped me when I was escaping Mistral City. Wait, you don't know about—"

"Honeydew told me enough. Just how do I get you out of here?" Xephos suddenly cut the Skylord off. He wasn't in the mood for long explanations right now. Lysander just looked at him before he nodded towards a keyhole in the wall, right next to the wooden bars separating them.

"Jasper sleeps with the key. You'll have to go get it from him." He explained. He looked back at the Spaceman when he finished. "Good luck. We'll catch up once we get out of here."

"Right. Be back in a bit." Xephos then turned and left the "Fungeon", not even bothering to shut the door behind him. He could only guess what Jasper had been doing to Lysander down there. He shivered at the possibilities as he climbed the stairs.

"So much for staying on my own…" He muttered. The main reason he had left Honeydew behind was to stay _away_ from his friends. Clearly Notch had a different idea. Lightning flashed from outside again, and a silhouette became visible on the other side of the window, the shape pressed up against the glass. Xephos jumped and cried out in surprise, tumbling back down the stairs a bit before he managed to stop himself. He looked back and could tell the shape was just a regular creeper, harmless as long as it was outside. He sighed and stood.

"Gods…" The Spaceman shook his head at himself. "I need to stop being so skittish."

Xephos then walked and headed back into the main foyer, ascending the stairs before he came to a stop in front of Jasper's bedroom door. He gave a quick glance around as if he expected someone to be watching him before he slipped inside, shutting the door behind him. Jasper's room was large, albeit mostly empty. The square space was pink like the rest of the manor, but it looked to be slightly brighter in color. Two flights of wooden stairs led up to the suspended platform where Jasper's bed lay. Despite the dim lighting, he could just make out the shape of Jasper lying in bed, sleeping on his side. The Spaceman didn't see or hear Um_Bongo anywhere, so he assumed that he had left after helping his master get to bed.

Xephos scanned the empty room again, and he noticed a small bedside table up on Jasper's platform, sitting on the side Jasper was not. He then silently climbed the wooden stairs, keeping low and bent towards the ground. When he reached the top, he gave another glance towards the sleeping Skylord before he dug through the bedside drawers. He only found some rope, handcuffs, and some leather bondage, making the Spaceman pull a face again. He threw what he found back inside and slid the drawer closed, turning to Jasper after a moment. He took a step forward when the Skylord stretched and yawned in his sleep, rolling over towards Xephos before he settled.

Making sure he was still asleep, Xephos then crept around the bed closer to Jasper's side. He could now see that a golden key was loosely held in Jasper's hand. Figuring it was the one for Lysander's cell, he carefully pulled it from the Skylord's hand before he rushed down the stairs and out the door. He shut the door and sighed in relief, looking the key over for a moment before he jogged back down to where Lysander was being kept, moving a little awkwardly with is still-sore leg. Remembering something suddenly, he ran back up to the guest room he was staying in and grabbed his whittling knife, returning to Lysander a few moments later.

The lights were still on from when Xephos had first entered, and Lysander looked up from trying to escape his bonds again when the Spaceman walked back in. Before Lysander could say anything, Xephos held up the key, making the Skylord smile. Xephos then slipped the gold key into the keyhole in the wall, and it turned easily once it was into place. The wooden bars were then pulled up into the roof, and there was a heavy metallic sound and a chain rattling as the bars locked into place. Xephos pulled his knife and walked over to Lysander, quickly cutting the rope tying his hands and feet together. The Skylord rubbed his chafing wrists before he stood.

"Many thanks, hero. Quickly, we must leave before Jasper notices you're gone. We must get to Skyhold!" He declared, already exiting the room and marching up the steps that lead to the main foyer. Confused, Xephos followed and stopped him.

"Wait a minute, what's Skyhold?" He asked.

"I'll explain on the way, but we must hurry." Lysander responded, turning to continue up the steps. More light began to shine from outside, indicating it was dawn despite the cloud layer above. Xephos continued to follow him up.

"Alright then, but I need to grab my things in one of the rooms before we head out." He replied. Lysander stopped and looked down at himself.

"Perhaps it's best I grab a shirt as well…" He said, mumbling slightly. Xephos just gave a nod before the two entered the foyer again. After making sure no one was around, Xephos motioned for Lysander to wait there before he quickly headed to the guest rooms. He found his bed and gathered up his things, throwing his bag over his shoulder once his sword and longbow were on his back again. Noticing a dresser, he opened it and found an old brown tunic that seemed to be Lysander's size. He snatched it up and headed back to where Lysander was, handing the Skylord the shirt when he approached. Lysander gave a nod of thanks and slipped it on, beginning to make his way towards the front door.

"Alright, now all we have to do is—"

"Lysander?" Jasper's voice suddenly spoke. Both Lysander and Xephos froze and turned to see Jasper standing at the top of the marble staircase, looking to be half-asleep still. He suddenly snapped awake when he realized what was going on. "What're you doing?!"

"Run!" Lysander grabbed Xephos by the arm and pulled him out the front door. Xephos soon pulled his arm back and kept up, only stumbling once due to his leg again. The storm had stopped raging outside, but it remained overcast. Lysander led Xephos through a small orchard of cherry blossoms and down towards a large Aircraft Carrier stationed in a cove behind Jasper's mansion. As they ran, he heard Jasper call out from behind.

"Lysander, you naughty, naughty boy! Someone needs a punishment!"

"Jasper you're a fag!" Lysander spat back. Xephos couldn't help but inwardly snicker at the Skylord's word choice. Never on his life had he expected Lysander to say something like _that._

"Please, take me wit' you!" A new voice spoke. Xephos looked back to see Um_Bongo chasing after them as well, appearing to have left through the mansion's back door. The big man easily caught up with the two, leaving Jasper in the dust. Lysander stopped when they reached the ladder that led up to the Aircraft Carrier's main deck. He quickly scaled it before he turned to help the others up. Um_Bongo was next, and he was easily up on the deck within two seconds. Xephos then grabbed the ladder and made his way up as well. When he was about halfway there he felt a hand firmly grasp his ankle, trying to yank the Spaceman off. He looked down to see Skylord_Jasper staring back at him, looking to be downright furious. Xephos nearly lost his grip on the ladder when Jasper pulled on him again, but the Skylord was quickly despatched after Xephos' heel collided with the bridge of his nose. When Jasper reeled away to grasp his face, Xephos finished climbing up the ladder and onto the large open deck, Lysander helping him along as well. The Skylord then dragged the ladder up and used his knee to snap the thing in half, looking back down at Jasper afterwards.

"Lysander, why? I thought you loved me!" Jasper cried up to them. He looked to be near tears, and a small trail of blood dripped from his left nostril now. Lysander just sighed.

"You were wrong, friend, but that doesn't mean I like you any less as a fellow Skylord." He replied, looking down at the man on the small pier below. "Although you wish for me to stay, I need to get to Skyhold. The fate of Minecraftia could very well depend on this." He turned to walk away. "Stay out of trouble now, Jasper, and keep watch on the mansion while you're at it."

Jasper stood silent for a moment before he sighed. Xephos watched him as he turned, wiping either his eyes or his nose as he began to sulk back to his manor. The Spaceman then turned to Lysander.

"Did you just friendzone him?" He asked jokingly.

"Oh shut up." Lysander shot back. Despite how much he tried, the Skylord couldn't keep a grin off his face. Xephos chuckled a bit when he was suddenly pulled into a bear hug by Um_Bongo.

"Thank you! I give new friend BIG HUG!" The Tiki man said. He picked Xephos up off the ground a bit as he continued to hug him.

"You're welcome, big guy…" Xephos choked out after a moment. "Um, can you put me down please?"

Um_Bongo nodded and placed Xephos down onto the deck again. Meanwhile, Lysander had found a chest bolted into place near the Carrier's main mast. He opened it and grabbed the contents, turning back to Xephos and Um_Bongo after a moment.

"Here are some maps. They have a bit of water damage, but they are still usable." He handed one each to the two in front of him. Xephos looked at the map and studied it closely. The water damage had splotched out small portions of the picture, but he could still see it was a map of the surrounding areas from a bird's eye view. In the center was Jasper's mansion, indicated by a bullet point, and down near the lower right corner was Verigan's Hold, made obvious by the sand contrasting the bright green landscape. Next to it was where Mistral City and Barbeque Bay would be if they hadn't been destroyed. The only other noticeable feature was a large structure in the top right of the map. It was made up of five circles, the four smaller ones joined to the middle's fifth. The shape almost resembled a Compass Rose, and all but the leftmost circle was painted white. The other was a deep red color.

"I see you've noticed Skyhold." Lysander said, walking over and pointing at the structure Xephos was staring at. "That's where we're headed. Normally only Skylords and Skylords-In-Training are allowed there, but we have little choice right now."

"Okay then. It looks to be very far to the northeast. How are we going to get there?" The Spaceman asked, tucking his map in the pocket opposite of the one holding Verigan's map fragment. Lysander just gestured towards the door that led below deck.

"Jasper should have some biplanes stored down there. If we fly, we'll be there in just a few hours." He explained. He then headed below deck. Xephos was about to follow when he stopped, turning towards Um_Bongo for a moment.

"You coming along?" he asked. Um_Bongo just shook his head, his face still covered with his Tiki mask.

"No. Map show me way home. I leave now. Goodbye!" With that, the big man jumped over the side and splashed into the water below. Xephos just stared where he had jumped before he shook his head in confusion and followed Lysander down below deck. After a bit of searching through the labyrinth of rooms, Lysander opened a door to reveal a large but empty room. He smiled when he noticed a chest near the opposite wall.

"Aha! Here we are!" He cheered, stepping inside and beginning to rummage through the chest. Xephos looked confused when he pulled out two small devices with a single red button on them.

"I thought you said there would be planes down here." He said. Lysander just laughed a bit and left the room, motioning for Xephos to follow him again.

"You'll see in a minute, hero. Let's just get back to the deck first."

Xephos still looked confused as he followed Lysander back up onto the main deck. Once they were topside again, Lysander gestured for the Spaceman to stand back. The Skylord then pressed the button and placed the box on the ground, backing up a bit afterwards. After a second, the box began to unfold and build itself into a one-seater wooden biplane. Xephos' eyes widened in amazement.

"Wow, that's brilliant!" He exclaimed. He then noticed the plane's gaudy plaid paintjob using almost all the colors in the rainbow. "Well, this is certainly Jasper's plane…"

"You know how to fly, right Xephos?" Lysander asked. His own plane with its own hideous coloring had set itself up next to the Spaceman's. Xephos then walked over to his biplane and climbed inside, fastening himself in with the seatbelt. He looked at the controls, his expression shifting to one of uncertainty.

"Um…"

"I thought you used to fly spaceships for a living." Lysander called over as he climbed into the other plane.

"I didn't drive them! I just told them where to go!" The Spaceman shouted in return. He looked back down to the controls and gripped the plane's yoke, turning it to get a feel for the fluency. He then looked at some buttons and raised a finger to press one.

"Is this the 'Go' button?"

"Xephos, wait! That's the—"

Before Lysander could finish, Xephos pressed the button, and his plane was sent accelerating forward. The Spaceman yelled and barely avoided crashing into a lighthouse stationed on a jetty nearby. Lysander sighed.

"…booster engine." He finished. He started up is own plane and strapped his goggles over his eyes before he took off after Xephos, who had managed to slow down his plane and level out.

"Alright, so where are we going?" He shouted over to Lysander as the Skylord drew close.

"Just follow me! I'll lead us there in no time!" He called back. Xephos gave a nod as Lysander pulled ahead of the Spaceman, turning to the northeast. Xephos turned his plane to follow behind, and the two continued travelling straight for at least an hour. The Spaceman watched as miles of rolling hills passed under them before they started to fly over open ocean. The trip continued silently before Xephos could make out a floating shape beginning to manifest on the horizon. A large hovering citadel was just ahead of them, growing larger and larger as they approached. Noticing the four circular sectors branching out from the center, he recognized it to be Skyhold. Lysander began to land his plane as they drew close to the southernmost sector. The Spaceman recognized it to be the main landing strip, elevated above the rest of the sector. He watched as Lysander landed his plane and climbed out, looking back up to him.

"Go ahead and get a bird's eye view! Just circle back here when you're done." He shouted. Xephos smiled and turned his plane to circle the whole of Skyhold. As he admired the floating citadel, he started to recognize what the separate parts of Skyhold were. The large center circle was made up of many housing areas, gardens, and a large building focused near the center. The land was also divided by two large sandstone walls. On one end of the circle he noticed an airship hovering next to a portion of land that was set up like a carnival. Looking closer, he could just make out three shapes discussing something; a short clown with a bowler hat, a black woman in a long purple dress, and a large bodybuilder. Returning his attention to the rest of Skyhold, he looked at the remaining three outer sectors of the place. Each was unique and resembled a separate biome; the northernmost was covered in ice and snow, the easternmost a forest with a very large tree sticking up from the center, and the westernmost resembling that of what you would find in the Nether; dark-colored rock and fire. Having seen enough, the Spaceman turned his plane towards the landing strip where Lysander was waiting.

As he brought it in for a landing, there was a sudden bout of midair turbulence, causing the yoke to slip from Xephos' grasp. Before he could catch it, it turned, causing the biplane to do so as well. It then collided at an angle with the landing strip, producing enough force to break the seat belt and fling Xephos forward. He landed on his back with a grunt, sitting up a moment later to rub his head. He heard Lysander run up to him.

"Good gods! Are you alright?" He asked. Xephos just nodded and stood, brushing himself off.

"Yeah, just got the wind knocked out of me." He replied. Noticing a sudden weight off his back, he turned to see the longbow snapped in half from the fall. "Oh damn it all! Oh well, not like I'm any good with the thing anyway…"

Xephos sighed and pulled out the quiver of arrows from his bag before tossing them over the side. The broken bow followed after them before they all splashed into the sea below. He then turned to Lysander.

"Sorry about the plane, by the way."

"It's not that big of a deal. We'll clean it up later." Lysander then began walking off the landing strip and down into the lower portion of the area, using a covered staircase near the back of the landing strip. Xephos followed him down, the cobblestone staircase winding back and forth in a zigzag as it led them down to the main level.

"Now this portion of Skyhold is the landing strip, if that wasn't obvious enough already. The center is where the Skylords live when they're not out on business. It's divided into three parts; the outer framing, the living area, and the large building at the center where we hold meetings, big events and such. Now the three other sectors you saw are quite interesting…"

Even though Lysander continued to explain Skyhold and its areas, Xephos didn't hear a single word. His eyes had become fixated on the back of the Skylord's neck. As they finished descending the staircase, time almost seemed to slow down around the Spaceman as he felt the ends of his lips curl into a smirk. A single slice with his sword could easily end Lysander, sever his head from his body and kill him instantly. Xephos felt himself reach for his sword, his fingers curling around the hilt as he silently removed it from its sheathe. He then heard the familiar sound of Israphel's voice whisper inside his mind.

_Weak. The Skylord is weak. You are strong__**. End him**__._

Xephos now gripped his diamond sword in both his hands as he lined up his killing blow. Lysander still hadn't noticed as he kept moving forward, the two now beginning to walk across a long sandstone walkway. Around it was the outer framing Lysander had mentioned earlier, and the ocean along with a few small ice caps were exposed far below. Xephos felt his smirk grow a little bigger. How easy this was. After he killed the Skylord, how could throw the body over the side. All it would take was one, simple slice…

_No!_

Time seemed to speed up again as Xephos regained his senses. He stumbled and nearly fell over the side, the only thing stopping him his sword. He had stabbed it into the sandstone to balance himself. The Spaceman stared into the churning waters below before Lysander grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back to his feet.

"Watch yourself now. Are you alright?" He asked. "Skyhold can be dangerous to those who are new here."

It took a moment for Xephos to muster up an answer. He could only stare at Lysander, thinking back to how he had been plotting to kill this man only moments earlier. After a second, Xephos cleared his throat and looked away, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I just…tripped." He said. Lysander gave him a good look up and down.

"I'll just have you know that you're a terrible liar, Xephos, but I respect your decision to not tell me about what's bothering you." Lysander then turned and entered the next ring of the center of Skyhold. "Now come along, we don't have all day."

Xephos sighed and sheathed his sword on his back again, giving a nervous glance over his shoulder as he followed the Skylord ahead. He was instinctively gripping his right arm again, trying to calm himself down.

_I'm fine. I'm not crazy. I'm perfectly, perfectly fine…_

"Stop, Lysander! You know the rules…"

A new voice snapped Xephos from his thoughts. He looked up to see an older man with dark brown hair with silver streaks standing in the center of the next dimly-lit room. He had deep brown eyes and wore a uniform similar to the one Lysander used to wear, the only difference that the overcoat was grey instead of blue. He also had a goatee similar to Xephos', although it was kept a little longer. Lysander sighed and faced the newcomer, who had a cold judgmental glare plastered onto his face.

"Skylord_Vitali, how lovely to see you again…" He began, obviously sarcastic. "Listen, I can explain."

"Oh, can you? You know that bringing outsiders to Skyhold is punishable by demotion and removal." Vitali shot back. His voice was low, slow, and calculating. "And why aren't you in uniform? You're right, Lysander; you have an _awful lot _of explaining to do."

"Step aside, Vitali! There is a terrible evil loose in this world, and I feel that it has something to do with Skyhold. I must speak with Skylord_Amber immediately!"

"I'm afraid that's not possible. She is dead, and the others have vanished. I'm sorry."

"WHAT?!" Xephos could've sworn that Lysander's jaw hit the floor.

"I think they all fled after what happened to Skylord_Amber. Notch rest her poor soul. Only I and Skylord_Baako remain."

"When did this all happen? WHEN?!"

Lysander seized Vitali by the shoulders and shook the older man frantically, demanding an answer. Vitali just pushed Lysander off of him after a moment.

"Only recently." He replied calmly. "It happened shortly after that creepy Carnival came here."

Lysander just nodded as he turned to face Xephos. He reached a hand to pull his scabbard, but he frowned when he realized that it was no longer there. He muttered something about Jasper before he looked up at Xephos again.

"Quickly, we must see Skylord_Baako at once!"

"You still haven't explained why you brought _him _here." Vitali broke in. He pointed to Xephos with a look of disgust. The Spaceman just glared back at him.

"Quiet! Just take me to Baako." Lysander spat back. Vitali took a moment to look the younger Skylord up and down before he exhaled sharply.

"Very well. Just follow me." He said, turning to leave through another doorway. Lysander nodded and walked after him. As Xephos tagged along behind, he noticed that the sun had dipped significantly in the sky, casting the entirety of Skyhold in shadow. It was nightfall by the time they reached the small house where Skylord_Baako was staying. Xephos frowned. The days seemed to be getting shorter and shorter.

As the three approached Skylord_Baako's house, Xephos noticed the woman with the purple dress he had seen from above. She was leaning by the door, lighting a cigarette using the nearby torch before taking a puff. Vitali noticed her as well, and he instantly became furious.

"I told you to stay away from here, you witch!" He shouted. Before the woman could say anything in her defense, Vitali slapped her across the face with the back of his hand. She gave a yelp but said nothing, rubbing her cheek and seeming indifferent about it.

"Hey, watch it!" Lysander spun Vitali around and glared at him. "How dare you treat a woman like that!"

"Lysander, you don't understand. She's trying to kill Baako." Vitali replied, his voice calm again. "These carnival folk can't be trusted."

"Fool, Nubescu was doing not'ing of the sort." The woman spoke in a deep voice, referring to herself. Nubescu took another puff of her cigarette before continuing. "I was watchin' over him, unlike you who should be."

"Why you little-"

"Vitali, get some rest." Lysander broke in. He gave the older Skylord a hardened glare. Vitali just looked between him, Xephos, and Nubescu before he turned, stalking off deeper into the night. Lysander sighed and shook his head as he watched Vitali go, turning to Nubescu after a moment.

"Sorry about that, Madame. Now, can we please have a word with Skylord_Baako? The matter is urgent."

"I suppose, but be warned; he is old. Old an' sick. He might not be right in the head if ya' know what I mean." Nubescu replied. She dropped her cigarette and crushed it under her shoe before she opened the door, allowing Xephos and Lysander to pass. Both just gave a nod of thanks before they headed inside.

Lying on a bed was an old man, looking to be weak and exhausted as he shifted around in a feverish state. Xephos sat down on a free bed next to the old Skylord. His saw that his skin was a deep ebony color, drastically contrasting his grey hair, beard, and white uniform. As Lysander sat down near the end of the old man's bed on a stool, he sighed.

"Hello, Grandfather." He said. Xephos looked at him in surprise. He never expected Lysander and Baako to be related. Baako managed to look up when he heard a new voice.

"Huh? Oh, Lysander. It's you…" The old man hacked a raspy cough.

"Yes, Grandfather, it is I. Can you tell me what happened here?" Lysander continued. Skylord_Baako mumbled something incoherent to himself, causing Lysander to frown.

"I think he's a little mad." He whispered over to Xephos, who just shrugged in return.

"Grandson, time is short. Tell me, did you come for the map fragment?" Baako spoke clearly now, and he managed to raise his head to look at Lysander again. However, the Skylord looked confused.

"The what?"

"Yes! Yes, that's exactly what we need." Xephos broke in. Lysander just stared at him, and the Spaceman gave him a look that said he'd explain later.

"That voice… are the legendary heroes with you?" Baako asked next. Lysander nodded.

"Well, one of them is, anyways." He replied.

"Then where is he?"

Lysander just looked over to Xephos and motioned towards his grandfather. The Spaceman moved from the bed to kneel down next to the dying Skylord.

"Right here." Xephos spoke. With surprising speed for his state, Skylord_Baako grabbed the Spaceman's arm and pulled him close.

"Hero, listen close. You must pass the Tests of the Skylords if you wish to succeed in your journey. It is the only way to gain access to the control room…" He trailed off to cough again. Both Lysander and Xephos looked equally confused.

"The Tests? Are you sure, Grandfather?" Lysander asked. Baako ignored him as he looked at Xephos again. With his other hand, he reached over and tapped Xephos' forehead.

"Use your head, hero, and not for the goggles. The map will be revealed to you then." He said, slow and cryptic.

"Wait, Grandfather, I don't understand! Why can't we just have the map fragment if you know where it is?" Lysander spoke again. Baako released his grip on Xephos' arm and looked back over to his grandson. He smiled a bit.

"All will be explained in time, young one. I believe you and the hero can stop the evil lurking at Skyhold." The old man replied. He coughed again, and there was suddenly a cracking noise. Everyone looked to Skylord_Baako's right hand. Visible cracks and creases had started to form, much like how glass started to crack and break apart. The old Skylord sighed.

"I am afraid my time has come. Farewell, grandson. You and the hero are the last hope the Skylords have…" Baako spoke. The cracks had spread almost entirely around his body now, and before anyone could react, Skylord_Baako suddenly exploded into a plume of dust. Lysander, Xephos, and Nubescu (whom had been standing back by the door) all jumped in surprise.

"Holy fucking shit!" Xephos cried, leaping back against the bed he had been sitting on earlier. Lysander was to first to gain his composure by clearing his throat and fixing his collar.

"Well, um…what an illness that was." He said. He looked down at his grandfather's bed and sighed. "Goodbye, Grandfather. May you rest in peace."

Both Xephos and Nubescu watched as Lysander removed his Aviator's cap and placed it over his heart. After a minute, he placed his helmet back onto his head, thanked Nubescu for her time, and walked out. Xephos followed the Skylord out as Nubescu left to head back to the carnival. After a bit of walking, Lysander stopped by another small house. He turned to face Xephos, his sadness having been replaced with stern determination.

"Well, you heard Grandfather. You must take the Tests of the Skylords tomorrow morning." He said.

"I'm still not sure what these Tests actually are." Xephos reminded him.

"The Tests of the Skylords are the final examination for a Skylord-In-Training. Once they complete their standard training, the trainee then takes the Tests of the Skylords to see if they are worthy of holding the title." Lysander explained. "Normally we wouldn't give the examination to just anyone, but Grandfather saw you as proven enough to take it." The Skylord then looked to the house he was standing next to. "You are welcome to stay here for the time being. My house is just down the path if you need me."

"Alright. See you in the morning, Lysander." Xephos gave a smile and wave as the Skylord turned to continue back to his house. Once Lysander was gone, the Spaceman frowned and headed into his temporary home. He threw his bag against the wall, allowing it to strike the wood and thump against the cobblestone ground, not caring if anything inside had been damaged. He lazily slipped his sword off his shoulder and let it drop wherever it landed before he flopped down onto the nearby bed. He rolled onto his side and covered his head with the pillow. His grip on it tightened as he recalled that he had nearly slain Lysander only what felt like minutes ago. Part of him wanted to cry, but he knew he couldn't; Israphel, wherever he was, would see it as a sign of weakness and submission. Xephos just rolled over, switching hands to keep the pillow over his head. He needed to get some rest. He still had those tests in the morning.

"Damn tests…" He muttered to himself. "Damn Skylords. Damn map. Damn prophecy. Damn Verigan. Damn nightmares. Damn visions. Damn Israphel. Damn this stupid hero status! Just…damn it. …Damn it all..."


	30. Chapter 30: Fire and Ice

**Separated**

**Chapter 30: Fire and Ice**

* * *

Xephos mumbled something incomprehensible to himself as he woke the next morning. It was barely light outside; the many walls of Skyhold seemed to block all sunlight until the sun was high in the sky. Peeking out from under his pillow, the Spaceman sat up and held his head in his hands for a minute before he sighed, getting up and gathering his things. He slipped his diamond sword onto his back and quickly snatched up his bag near the opposite wall. Xephos then dragged himself out the door, shutting it behind him. It was a little brighter now; the still-pink sun was just visible over the lower walls. The Spaceman silently walked down the path, disturbed by how quiet everything was. He noticed that it had snowed a little during the night, for thin layers of white frost now covered the grass all around. He reached Lysander's house and guessed the Skylord was still sleeping, for there was no sounds of movement from inside. Xephos took a seat on a low cobblestone wall that separated the path from another yard, figuring that he'd have to wait until Lysander was up before he could begin these Tests he needed to take.

The Spaceman sat with his head resting in one of his hands, and he blew a clump of his raggedy brown hair away from his eyes. He really needed to clean himself up sometime. The silence around him was soon broken by the sound of his stomach. It was then Xephos realized he hadn't eaten in days. Sighing, the Spaceman dug into his bag and pulled out his pouch of food. Looking inside, all there was were two apples and a tiny loaf of bread. Figuring it was enough for now, the Spaceman took an apple and put the rest back into his bag, saving it for later. Just as he was about to take a bite, however, he was utterly surprised when the apple sprouted spider legs.

Xephos yelled in surprise and threw the apple/spider down. He watched as it rolled onto its legs and looked around curiously. The strange thing suddenly disappeared in a black plume of smoke as laughter echoed all around Skyhold. Xephos looked around frantically, knowing in an instant who it was.

"Hello, Spaceman." Israphel's voice suddenly said. Xephos looked up to see the Dark Lord sitting on the edge of Lysander's roof, one leg crossed over the other as he leaned back on his arms, a set of fingers drumming against the wood he sat on. Another cold smirk was plastered onto his face. The Spaceman simply stared back at him, and he felt his hand curl into a fist again.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" He asked. He swallowed nervously, trying to mask his fear the best he could. He hated to admit it, but Israphel's potential deeply terrified him. He knew that he had only seen a tiny fraction of the demon's real power, and he dreaded to see the rest. Israphel just snickered in response at the Spaceman's question.

"The real question is, Xephos, am I really here?" He asked. The Dark Lord mockingly tapped the side of his bald cranium. "Last time I checked, you weren't in the best mental state. How do you know I'm not another one of your silly delusions?"

"Shut up! You're talking back to me, aren't you? A delusion couldn't do that, could it?" Xephos asked. He reached for his sword on his back, but chose not to draw it just yet. Israphel just shook his head at him, his smirk never once leaving his face.

"I don't think you understand how insanity works, Xephos; once you're crazy, you can never know what is real or not, despite how real it seems to be." The pale-faced man suddenly crumbled into thick black dust, most of the particles getting swept away by a nonexistent breeze. Xephos looked confused for a moment before Israphel suddenly appeared a little ways to his right, just down the path. The Dark Lord chuckled as he approached, causing Xephos to stand and nervously move a few more feet down the wall away from him.

"W-What do you want?" The Spaceman asked, failing at keeping his voice at shaking for a moment. He mentally cursed at himself and drew his sword, holding it out in front of him defensively. Israphel stopped a few feet away from the other man and studied him closely, his expression shifting to one of deep thought. After a minute, he smirked again.

"How has it been since I let you go, Xephos? Have you been enjoying yourself?" He asked, dodging the question. The Spaceman only glared.

"No. No I haven't, Israphel. Ever since you got your grimy little hands on me I've been downright miserable!" He gave a sharp exhale out his nose and glared at the partly-frozen ground at his feet. "But I suppose that was part of your plan all along..."

"Perhaps, perhaps not. But now, Xephos, I want you to what you're good at and think. Reflect on all the times you were…not yourself." Israphel replied. "Think long and hard on those fleeting moments and answer me this; were you miserable then? Were you so angry at your existence the moment you tried to end your dwarven friend's life back at Pharaoh Lehparsi's tomb? Or, were you exhilarated? Was the new adrenaline rushing through your veins enough to make you crave it again? Answer honestly, Spaceman, for I already know the truth."

Xephos was taken aback by the Dark Lord's words. The two simply stared at each other before the Spaceman looked towards the ground, lowering his sword as he did. He absently sat back down on the small cobblestone wall and rested his weapon in his lap as he continued to reflect on what Israphel had just said. The demon was right; in his moments of insanity he had felt something that could be described almost as a twisted form of joy. He recalled his incident with Lysander and remembered the feeling of amusement as he planned the many possible fates for the Skylord, eventually deciding on quick decapitation. He did not see Lysander as a friend or even a human being then; he was only a thing to play with before it broke and had to be tossed aside. Xephos then realized this was Israphel's way of thinking.

Judging by the Spaceman's reaction, Israphel knew that his words had hit home. The Dark Lord's smirk grew a little bit bigger.

"So I was right." He spoke. Xephos didn't show any signs of acknowledgement, his gaze still fixated downwards. Despite this, Israphel continued. "That's another thing about insanity, Xephos; it makes you feel no regrets. No pain. No stupid emotions that drag you mortals down and make you doubt yourselves. Wouldn't it be nice to just let all that fear and doubt you feel slip away? Don't you want to feel that exhilaration all the time? Feel _truly _alive and, dare I say, happy? I think you do."

Still, Xephos showed no reaction, continuing to keep his gaze locked on the ground a few inches away from his dangling feet. He heard the wispy sound of wind as Israphel teleported again, and he then felt the Dark Lord's hands fall upon his shoulders a moment later. He allowed it as he watched one of Israphel's pale hands reach down to guide Xephos' own. He helped the Spaceman turn his sword so his reflection shone on the blade again. The Spaceman's irises had turned from grey to a glowing crimson again, but he did nothing about it. He simply stared back at the man in the sword as Israphel took his hand back, resting it on Xephos' shoulder again.

"You're nearly there, Xephos." The Dark Lord whispered. Xephos could feel his ice cold breath against his ear. "I can only push you so far. Embrace this change as a power, not a weakness. All you have to do is just…let…go."

Israphel spoke his last words slowly, allowing them to sink in. Xephos remained silent, staring back at his reflection still. He studied the image of his red eyes, and part of him thought that they almost seemed to fit. Perhaps Israphel was right. Insanity couldn't be all _that_ bad, could it? Perhaps all he had to was—

Suddenly, the Spaceman was aware of the sound of snapping, and he looked up to see Lysander standing in front of him. He was now aware that the weight of Israphel's hands had left his shoulders. The Skylord had been snapping his fingers in front of Xephos' nose to catch his attention. When he finally had it, the Skylord dropped his hand and looked down at the other man, confused.

"Oh, there you are. It took me a minute to get you to notice me. Were you thinking about something?" The Skylord asked. Xephos just stared back for a moment, his expression blank. He then shook his head and gathered his thoughts.

"Oh, yeah. Sometimes I get a little caught up in plans, you know?" He replied. Lysander just gave a nod, believing the Spaceman for now.

"I hope you weren't waiting out here in the cold for too long. I didn't expect to sleep in so late. My apologies." He spoke. Despite it being "late", it was barely past dawn. Xephos just shrugged and sheathed his sword on his back again, standing up a moment later.

"It was only a few minutes. Don't worry about it." He replied.

"If you say. Now, it's time we move on to the Tests. Follow me, I'll explain on the way." With that, Skylord_Lysander turned on his heels and continued down the path. Xephos gave a quick glance over his shoulder before he followed after Lysander, nervously gripping his right arm again.

"So, what exactly do I have to do?" he asked. Hopefully a conversation could help him forget about Israphel and his scarily-convincing logic for a bit. Lysander gave a quick look back towards him before he faced forward again, beginning to speak.

"The Tests of the Skylords are fairly straightforward; on each of the three outer sectors of Skyhold, there is an artifact hidden somewhere. It is the test-taker's job to find all three. Once you do, come find me and I'll complete the ceremony." He stopped at a gate that lead out towards the first test. Above said gate hung an old wooden sign:

_Test #1: The Trial of Fire_

"Seems simple enough." Xephos replied, scratching his head as he read the sign again. Lysander just nodded as he reached for the newly-replaced scabbard on his belt.

"Meanwhile, I will begin investigating the strange goings-on around here and avenge both my grandfather's and Skylord_Amber's deaths. Once you're done here, just continue around the path. You'll find the next two gates further along it. Good luck now, hero! I'm sure you can do it."

The Skylord gave a smile before he quickly took off down the path, heading somewhere out of sight. Xephos watched him go before he sighed, turning back towards the gate that lead to the first test.

"Here goes nothing…" He mumbled. Taking a calming breath, the Spaceman headed inside. Past the gate was a long dark tunnel, continuing a ways before the wood changed into a dark red stone. Figuring that this place was the Nether-like fire pit he'd seen from above, Xephos instinctively reached for his sword. The hall widened as he walked before it opened up into a maze. Taking a few steps forward, the Spaceman soon found it hard to even lift his feet off the ground. Looking down, he saw that the floor was now made up of sticky grey sand, making it hard to move quickly in any way. The Spaceman just mumbled something and pushed forward, the strange sand hindering him greatly.

"Now if I was a mysterious hidden artifact, where would I be…?" He asked himself. Finding a crossroads, he did a quick guess of which way to go before continuing forward, having to manually grab his pant leg and yank his foot out of a particularly sticky pile of sand before he could do so. He slowly made his way forward before the lighting darkened significantly, and the Spaceman found himself hurriedly digging around in his bag for a torch. Even in adult years he still had a terrible fear of the dark. He could usually handle it if another like Honeydew was close by, but now that he was on his own again, his longtime fear came rushing back to him. When Xephos managed to get the head of the torch alight, he gave a long sigh of relief as the area around him grew a lot brighter. His phobia was one of his more embarrassing secrets, but at least no one but Honeydew knew about it.

Xephos had just taken another step forward when he heard a noise around the next turn. He raised a brow and instinctively reached for his sword with his free hand. He silently crept forward, even though he knew the torchlight would most likely alert whatever the source of the noise was of his presence. Great, _another _drawback of his damn phobia. Xephos gave a soft but frustrated exhale out of his nose as the noise sounded again, sounding somewhat like a distorted pig squeal. He had heard something like it before. It was when he was sailing on that dark captain's ship.

Just when Xephos pieced everything together, an angry pigman came charging at him as he turned the corner. The Spaceman, unprepared for the beast's speed and might, was slammed back against the cold red stone that served as the wall. He gave a grunt of pain before the pigman's grip tightened on his shoulders. He cringed as its long claw-like fingernails dug into his skin. Xephos then looked up at the thing that was attacking him. Unlike the pigmen in Grimjaw's crew, this was much bigger, and most likely much stronger, too. While the pirate pigmen looked human despite pinkish skin, hooves for feet, and a few animalistic facial features, this one looked much more beast than man. Resembling a boar, two bloodied tusks stuck out from the pigman's upper jaw, and crazed red eyes stared down at Xephos as though he looked like a three-course meal.

Realizing that his sword and torch were still in hand, Xephos took the opportunity to raise the burning end of the torch towards his attacker's face. The massive pig's eyes widened in surprise at the flame, and it instantly jumped back in fear. Xephos stood straight, guessing that the creature hadn't seen light for quite some time. He shoved the torch into its face again, and the pigman gave a frightened squeal as it covered its eyes. Seeing that it was stunned, Xephos swept a leg to trip it. The pigman then fell forward and right into Xephos' diamond sword, stabbing through its chest and killing it instantly. The Spaceman removed his sword just in time to see and hear two more brutes rushing towards him, not affected by the sticky sand lacing the floor at all. Xephos entered a defensive stance as he raised both his torch and his weapon, watching as both hulking pigmen closed the distance between them. When the first drew close enough, the Spaceman shoved the torch into its face again. It reared back and slammed into the one behind it, and the force of their skulls colliding was enough to knock them both out. The Spaceman watched as the massive forms fell to the ground.

"…Well that was anticlimactic." He said to himself. Hearing another set of squeals coming the way he had come from earlier, Xephos then started moving as fast as he could deeper into the maze. Although he was lost for what felt like another hour, he managed to avoid any more encounters with the pigmen roaming the maze. At last he finally found it; the floor changed back into the red-colored stone from when he'd first entered, and a light shone just up ahead.

The corridor widened into a small circular room. At the center sat a pedestal carved from the same stone surrounding the Spaceman. It was lit up by a single ray of light stretching down from the high roof, though Xephos could not see the source. Floating in the beam was an oval-shaped stone, small enough that it could fit into the palm of his hand. Orbiting around it was a small flame, continuously flying around the small red stone in an "X" formation. Xephos raised a brow and sheathed his straightsword as he approached the pedestal. Nothing happened as he drew close, but his suspicions of traps still remained. He was close enough now to where the stone was in his reach. After a moment of hesitance, he then reached out a hand to grab the stone from its place. He wrapped his fingers around it, and the flame did not burn him at all as it flew past his hand. All of a sudden there was a flash of white light, and Xephos found himself suddenly out by the front gate where Lysander had left him. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the sun again before he looked around.

"How the hell did I get out here?" He asked. He looked down at the stone in his hand. It continued to float just above the center of his palm, the flame circling it giving off a faint orange glow. Sensing that it was harmless, the Spaceman shrugged and tucked it into a safe place in his bag, figuring that it wouldn't catch anything on fire or something else horrible. Following Lysander's instructions, Xephos continued down the path towards the next gate. Every now and then, however, he swore he saw something just out of the corner of his eye or hear something behind him that wasn't there. Whenever he looked, nothing greeted him, but he kept seeing and hearing these strange occurrences. Eventually he gave a groan and slapped himself.

"Get your shit together!" he yelled at himself, not caring if anyone had heard. He took a moment to close his eyes and take a relaxing breath, hoping to calm his nerves. After a second, he gave another sigh and continued forward, seeing the next gate just up ahead. He approached and read the next sign. It hung above the entrance like the first had.

_Test #2: The Trial of Ice_

Xephos read the sign and took a moment to think about what could possibly be waiting for him just past the gate. After all, his last experience with ice and snow had led to him getting kidnapped and taken to Nether by Israphel. He then headed inside without another thought. As the floor began to morph into a glassy form of ice, he looked up and noticed another sign hanging near the roof.

_IMPORTANT: For safety reasons, absolutely NO torches permitted past this point._

Xephos sighed as he continued forward, careful not to slip on the new surface below his feet. Hopefully the place wouldn't be _too _dark. The icy corridor continued for a bit before it opened up, allowing sun to shine in from the cloud-free sky above. Despite the sun and its warming rays, this part of Skyhold was significantly colder than the rest. Xephos shivered and pulled his jacket tighter as he continued toward a gigantic igloo-shaped ice formation at the center of the sector. Since the ice was almost entirely see-through, the Spaceman could just make out the shape of another pedestal on the other side. He smiled and walked forward into the dome, heading straight into the dim lighting towards the pedestal.

Of course, poor Xephos had completely forgotten that this was a test for a moment, and he walked face first into a wall of ice, nearly invisible in absence of light.

He cursed and gripped his nose, which had taken the majority of the impact. He then found the wall again and followed alongside it, never once removing his hand from the numbingly cold surface. After a few twists and turns, the Spaceman figured out that he was in another maze. He gave an inward sigh and carefully edged his way forward. Although the ice underneath his feet seemed sturdy, it was not supported by solid ground, and he feared one misstep could end up with him falling into the frigid sea below. As Xephos walked along, he bumped into another wall, having hit a dead end.

"Damn it! Knew I took a wrong turn…" He muttered, turning around to retrace his steps. The darkness taking up most of his surroundings started to eat away at his nerves again, and he felt that a zombie, creeper, or even Israphel could pop out at any moment. Part of him wanted to disregard the safety warning and pull out a torch, but he then remembered that there was only about a foot of frozen water supporting him. Choosing life over a light source, he continued forward, trying to suppress the feeling of something standing directly behind him the best he could.

Soon, Xephos nearly tripped when there was a sudden raise in the ice. Feeling around, he managed to figure out that the ice now formed a staircase upwards. He slowly made his way up to avoid slipping and landing head first on the jagged edges of the stairs. Once the ice leveled out again, he continued around a few more corners. To anybody watching from elsewhere in the see-through maze, he looked as if he was walking on air. A few minutes later, Xephos had worked his way closer to the pedestal. When he rounded the next turn, he saw that the ice sloped down to the exit of the maze and over towards his objective. The Spaceman gave a smile and easily made his way down without his feet sliding out from under him.

Approaching the icy stand, he saw another floating artifact held in another beam of light with no apparent source. This one was an ice cube, and a blue wisp orbited around it in the same pattern the flame circled the stone. Xephos reached out and grabbed it from its place, and he was then teleported out to the front of the ice maze. Just like how the fire artifact wouldn't burn anything, he hoped that the ice cube wouldn't melt in his bag, either. Placing it safely inside, the Spaceman then continued to walk back towards the exit. Right before he entered the tunnel that lead back to the center circle of Skyhold, an unusual shape caught his eye. Looking through the wall of ice and down at the ocean below, he could make out the shape of a very large sea turtle. Its large shell and the top of its green head were visible, both just barely breaking the surface.

"I had no idea sea turtles could get that big…" Xephos said to himself. He guessed that the creature was sleeping or something, because it didn't seem to move at all. The Spaceman just shrugged and continued back through the gate. He was surprised to find Lysander standing by the gate waiting for him.

"Ah, Xephos! There you are!" Lysander said as the hero approached. "I'm sorry to interrupt your test taking, but I'm in dire need of your help."

"No problem. What is it? Did you find out anything?" Xephos asked, casually crossing his arms across his chest as he spoke. The Skylord gave a nod.

"I have questioned the carnival folk, and they are all good people. I'm starting to think Vitali has not been telling the truth." Lysander paused for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. "Madame_Nubescu told me that a man arrived here last night, but Vitali locked him up as soon as he arrived. He is being held in a special cell somewhere under Skyhold." Lysander then looked back over towards the Spaceman, a serious expression now on his face.

"I need you to speak with Madame_Nubescu about this further. Meanwhile, I'll keep Vitali busy so he doesn't try anything. Hopefully he's still in his house. He never seems to come out during the day anymore, ever since he switched to the night shift and all…"

"Alright. Which way's the carnival again?" Xephos asked. Lysander pointed down the path.

"Just head past the next gate and around an apple tee. You'll see it then." He explained. The Spaceman gave a thankful nod as the two took off in their own directions again. As Xephos continued towards the carnival, Israphel's words suddenly entered his mind again.

_I can only push you so far, Xephos. Embrace this change as a power, not a weakness. All you have to do is just…let…go._

Xephos felt a shiver run down his spine, and he gripped his arm again. He had almost listened to the Dark Lord then; something he would've never done just a few days earlier. His…condition was getting worse. It was obvious with all the delusions and seeing and hearing things that weren't there. Xephos stopped when he felt a sudden jarring pain in his skull, but it then passed as quickly as it came. Being alone wasn't good for him. It made him lonely. It made him thoughtful. It made him reflect on things.

It made him vulnerable.

"Oh Honeydew, why was I stupid enough to leave you behind?"

* * *

_Author's Note: Well, this certainly_ _took longer than expected. :/_

_Sorry I took so long to get this out, guys and gals. School has been brutal with the final push before finals. Having to practice both a flute solo and five songs for a concert while studying for two 100-point English tests and an in-class essay AND keeping on top of creating a website on Ragtime music for a computer class final project leaves little time for writing._

_Anyway, yeah. The Israphel scene was some of the most fun I've had writing in a while. I'm so mean. X3 I hope you guys enjoyed this and I'll try to get Chapter 31 out soon. Just two and a half more weeks in hell- erm, school and I'M FREE! :D_

_~DR_


	31. Chapter 31: Revelations

**Separated**

**Chapter 31: Revelations**

* * *

The Spaceman forced his thoughts to the back of his mind once more as he approached the third gate. He passed it without a glance, focusing on the task at hand. Up ahead, he now saw an apple tree, the tall plant growing just at the base of a small hill. Despite the cold and frost all around Skyhold, the tree still appeared to be very healthy. Many red fruits hung from its branches, and Xephos plucked one from its place as he walked past. He looked the apple over before taking a bite, thankful that Israphel didn't try anything this time.

As he savored the sweet taste of the fruit, he scanned the area for the carnival. After a moment, he noticed that part of the wall opened up into another, smaller gate. Walking over, he read a quickly-hung sign next to the entrance:

_Carnival this way! _

An arrow then pointed towards the door. Xephos took another bite of his apple as he headed through the gate. Inside was a small area that was covered in many stands and small tents. The very top of an airship was visible just over the large sandstone wall. Looking around the plethora of multicolored attractions, the Spaceman saw that the place was mostly empty. The only other living thing he saw was the strongman he had seen while taking an aerial tour of Skyhold. The big man was sweeping off some snow from the top of one of the stands, deeply focused on his work. The Spaceman was about to call out to him when he felt an arm wrap around his shoulder and pull him close into someone.

"A customer! Welcome, friend! Your exciting day at Carnevale Del Banjo has only just begun!" Cried the little man next to Xephos. He was dressed up as a clown, and a small black bowler hat sat crooked atop his green wig. The Spaceman pulled away from him after a moment, brushing off his shoulder and adjusting his coat collar afterwards.

"Thanks, but that's not why I'm here." He explained. "I'm looking for Madame_Nubescu. Can you tell me which way is her tent?"

"Oh! Have an interest in your fate, have you? Then Madame_Nubescu is just the woman for you!" The strange little clown pointed to a vibrant yellow tent with purple stripes just a little ways in front of them. "You'll find her right in there. Make sure to stop by the other attractions before you leave, stranger! You won't be disappointed!"

With that, the little man ran off to somewhere elsewhere in the carnival. Xephos simply stared in the direction he had left before he sighed, shook his head, and headed towards Madame_Nubescu's tent. He took a few more bites of his apple before tossing it over his shoulder, forgetting it for now. Pushing past the tent's flap and entering the large space, the Spaceman looked around for any signs of the strange mystique. All he found was a small wooden table off to the side, the smell of burning incense, and a small hatch that lead somewhere under the surface of Skyhold.

"Hello? Madame_Nubescu?" He called. He waited a moment but received no answer. Xephos walked over to the hatch and stared down at it, debating whether he should invade Nubescu's privacy by checking what was past it or not. His eyes then fell upon a single sheet of paper on the table next to him. Seeing that something was written on it, he walked over and read the words carefully.

_Dear diary,_

_I killed dem Skylords good._

_~M. Nubescu_

"Wait...what?" The Spaceman read the diary entry again. "But Lysander said…"

After a moment of studying the note, he saw that it had been written down very quickly. Not wanting to jump to conclusions, Xephos just gave an annoyed exhale out of his nose and tucked the note away, proceeding to climb down the hatch and onto a hanging wooden platform. It swung slightly with the addition of his weight, but overall it looked sturdy. The Spaceman looked around to see a series of similar hanging platforms leading over to Madame_Nubescu and her cauldron. It was built into the platform so only the rim was visible, and the woman seemed to be meditating, her eyes closed and looking thoughtful. Xephos looked down between the first gap that separated him from the next platform.

"That's…a long fall." He said to himself. He nervously swallowed before he jumped for the other side. It was not a large distance, so he made it over fairly easily. He then continued across the next few platforms, reaching Nubescu within a few seconds. The mystique cracked an eye open and looked up at her visitor.

"Ah, hello dere, man from space. Please, take a seat." She pointed to the open spot on the ground across from her. "What can Nubescu do for you?"

Xephos gave a nod and sat down crossed-legged before he spoke.

"Well, I just have a few questions. Could you answer them for—wait, how did you know I was from—"

"If its answers you want, you'll have to pay." Nubescu broke in. Xephos just simply stared at her for a moment.

"But this is important! The fate of Minecraftia could very well depend on this!"

Nubescu looked the Spaceman up and down before she sighed.

"Very well. Da spirits have been warnin' me of dark times ahead. I suppose I should play my part to help put a stop to them." She replied. Xephos gave a thankful smile before his expression turned serious.

"First off, can you please explain what this was doing up in your tent?" He began, pulling out the diary entry he had found on the table. Nubescu raised a curious brow before she took the paper from him, reaching over her cauldron to do so.

"What? I never wrote this, mon! This isn't even me handwritin'!" She yelled, slapping the paper with the back of her free hand as she read it. "I've never kept a diary. Someone aroun' here is obviously tryin' to frame me."

Xephos smiled again at her response.

"That's what I thought. Lysander said I could trust you. Now, next question; Can you tell me where the man who arrived last night is? It's very important that I speak with him."

"Sure. He be right over dere."

Nubescu pointed off to her right and over towards a cage hanging down from near the center of Skyhold. As the sun began to set off in the west, the light grew dimmer, but Xephos could just make out a shape of a largely-built man sitting against the wooden bars of the cage. He squinted to get a better look.

"Is that _Um_Bongo?!"_ He shouted. He stood up and walked to the edge of the square platform to get a better look. How the heck did the Tiki man get all the way out here?

"A friend of yours, mon?" Nubescu asked, getting up and standing beside him. Xephos looked over.

"Err, somewhat. Look, I need to get him out of there. Can you use your magic to help me get over to the cage?" He asked. Nubescu frowned for a moment before she tapped her chin, giving a hum of thought as she did.

"I don't know 'bout dat. I've been tryin' to get him out all day, but so far nothing's worked. I haven't used other magic besides predictin' for quite some time…" She replied. "…I suppose I could give it a go, though. I apologize in advance if you break ya' neck if you hit the water."

Before Xephos could say anything, Madame_Nubescu closed her eyes and focused. She mumbled a few chants under her breath as her hands came together like they would in prayer. Suddenly, she opened her dark brown eyes before they flashed a deep purple, and a narrow path of purple light appeared next to them, stretching all the way over to the top of Um_Bongo's wooden prison. Xephos simply gawked in amazement for a moment before he guessed Nubescu could only keep this up for a limited amount of time. After that, he carefully made his way across to the Tiki man's cage without another word.

"Friend!" Um_Bongo cried when he saw Xephos draw close. "You have come to save me! Many thanks!"

In response, the Spaceman pressed a finger to his lips before he instinctively gave a glance over his shoulder. Vitali could easily hear the big man's yelling from here.

"Yes, it's me. Now be quiet and I'll get you out of here." He whispered as he planted his feet on the top of the cage. Taking Um_Bongo's silence as an "okay", Xephos then bent down and pried the metal hatch trapping Um_Bongo inside off its hinges with his sword. Tossing the metal door over the side, he then reached down and helped the big man up onto the roof of the cage. Even with his large decorated mask blocking the entirety of his face, the Spaceman could still tell that Um_Bongo was barely containing his excitement. Xephos pressed a finger to his lips to remind the Tiki man about keeping quiet before he motioned for him to follow, beginning to make his way across Nubescu's magical path again. When both men were safely on Nubescu's platform, the path of strange purple light faded as Nubescu let out a tired sigh, sitting back down next to her cauldron.

"I should really charge you double for that…" She muttered, only half-joking. Xephos was about to reply when Um_Bongo pulled him into a bear hug again.

"You save me again! I love friend forever now!" He cheered. Xephos tried to reply, but lack of air to his lungs made him choke instead. Um_Bongo thankfully noticed this and let him go.

"Holy Notch you're strong…" Xephos panted, trying to catch his breath again. He heard Nubescu snicker off to the side.

"Anything I can do for friend?" Um_Bongo asked. Xephos simply raised his pointer finger before he continued to struggle for breath, hands on his knees as he did. After a second or two, he stood up straight and looked up at Um_Bongo.

"Actually, yes. Can you tell me why Vitali locked you up?" He asked. The big man gave a nod.

"When I arrive last night, I saw pale man with brown-grey hair digging around apple tree. I saw him haul bones and hide them there."

"Bones? Are you sure?" Xephos asked, reasonably shocked. Um_Bongo nodded again.

"They looked fresh." He added.

"This does not sound good at all." Nubescu added, shaking her head as she pulled out a cigarette and a lighter.

"Agreed. I have to tell Lysander about this. Thanks for both of your help." Xephos then turned and hopped across the first gap back towards the ladder that led up into Nubescu's tent again. By now the sun had set completely, yet the moon and the stars still kept the land bathed in a bluish-grey light. Xephos turned when he heard Um_Bongo try to follow him.

"Um_Bongo, I think you should stay here with Nubescu. It's much safer." He tried. Still, the big man dismissed his warning with a confident shrug.

"Don't worry, I make good jump!" He declared. Before Xephos could try anything else, Um_Bongo took the leap to follow the Spaceman over to the next platform. Unfortunately, he jumped higher than he did forward, so the Tiki man fell straight through the gap into the icy waters below. Both Xephos and Nubescu rushed over to look down at him.

"You alright down there?" Xephos called. He then saw the shape of Um_Bongo emerge from underwater and give a wave up to them, proceeding to swim off with surprising speed away from Skyhold. How the cold was not affecting him despite the fact that he was only wearing a mask and a grass skirt confused them both, but they decided not to question it.

"Strange guy…" Xephos said absently.

Nubescu gave a sigh and headed back to her cauldron as Xephos turned to leave again. Suddenly, Nubescu turned and called for his attention.

"Wait, traveler. You are the one who is friends with the ginger-bearded dwarf, yes?" She asked. Xephos looked surprised again.

"Well, yeah, but how did you-"

"Da spirits wanted me to tell you to trust the heart and ignore the mind. But remember; your fate is your choice and your choice alone." Nubescu interrupted his question again. Again, Xephos simply stared at the mystique for a moment before he turned.

"Uh, thanks. That…helps." He replied. Nubescu just gave a nod and sat back down in front of her cauldron, the stilled blue water appearing to give off a faint glow. The Spaceman carefully made his way back over to the ladder before climbing up, managing to leave the carnival without the body builder or the little man in the bowler hat interrupting him. He exited through the gate and headed back to the apple tree, looking around its roots for any places that looked unnatural. Hearing footsteps behind him, Xephos turned to see Lysander walk towards him.

"Did you find out anything? I couldn't find Vitali anywhere." The Skylord said. Xephos only gave a grim nod.

"Yeah. The man who was locked up said he saw Vitali hide some bones under the apple tree." He replied. Lysander looked as surprised as Xephos had when he'd first heard about it.

"Bones? Though Vitali is a little strange, the Vitali I know would never do such a thing as murder someone!"

"Well, let's just see if Um_Bongo was telling the tru-GAH!" Suddenly, the ground gave way under Xephos' feet as he moved to circle around the tree again. He gave a groan as he heard Lysander rush over to the hole that had formed.

"Are you alright, hero?" He asked. Xephos stood and brushed himself off.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a few fee- …oh. Lysander, you might want to climb down and see this…"

The Skylord raised a brow before he jumped down next to Xephos. Both men looked to see a long tunnel continue deeper into the hill before it became masked by a shroud of darkness. The stale stench of death wafted from further down the tunnel, and there was a trail of dried blood leading further into the darkness. Both Xephos and Lysander shared a look before they headed deeper into the tunnel. The only sound was their footsteps for a while before Lysander gasped as light became visible just up ahead. The two entered a small man-made cavern where only one torch kept the room alight. As both Xephos and Lysander scanned the room, they saw that there was even more blood staining the walls. Scattered all around the small space was a series of wooden coffins, the wood covered in deep claw marks and even more of the crimson liquid. The pungent smell of death was much stronger here, and the coffin closest to the two had an arm hanging out the side. It was cut up and mangled severely, but the remains of a standard Skylord uniform's sleeve limply hung from the arm, reduced to nothing but rags now. Xephos dreaded to see the condition the rest of the body was in.

"No…" Xephos watched as Lysander's eyes quickly darted from coffin to coffin, and the Skylord then fell to his knees. "This…this isn't happening. It can't be..."

"I'm sorry, friend. I truly am." The Spaceman whispered, kneeling down and placing a comforting hand on Lysander's shoulder. It wasn't much, but it was enough to show the Skylord that he cared.

"No you're not. You don't know what it's like, losing all your friends and family like this..." Lysander snapped as he fought back tears. Xephos just looked at him.

"Don't say that." The sudden change in his tone was enough to make Lysander look over to the Spaceman as he stood, taking his hand back as he did. Xephos pushed back memories of the USS Floridian as he headed further into the room. "Don't _ever _say that."

Lysander realized his mistake and looked genuinely embarrassed. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as he stood.

"I… forgive me, Xephos. I didn't realize—"

"Just drop it."

"Yes. Of course…"

There was an awkward silence between the two as they continued to examine the room. As Lysander went around paying respects to each fallen Skylord, Xephos found an old hatch near the back corner of the room. Above it was a hastily-written message on the wall, appearing to be written in charcoal. The Spaceman stepped closer to read it.

_Skylord_Vimes:_

_I stuck a meat hook in his back_

_And snapped his spine with a mighty crack_

_Skylord_Horus:_

_At morning light our swords did clash_

_Skylord_James:_

_Nothing left but bones and ash_

_I popped out his eyes and drank the goo_

_Then I took his blade and ran him through_

Despite the mention of only three names in the poem, a few more coffins lay nearby. Xephos could read the names carved into them; Skylord_Amber, Skylord_Finnegan, and another whose name was unreadable due to claw marks scraping out the writing. By now, Lysander had come around and noticed the hatch as well. He kicked it open and began to climb down, motioning for Xephos to follow.

The two entered a rectangular room carved out from smooth grey stone. Strange glowing lanterns hanging from the ceiling illuminated the room, and a few bookcases lined the walls around them, many of the books' titles written in an unknown language to both of them. The two faced the one wall where no bookshelves were present. Lying along the wall was another coffin, but this one was not wooden nor appeared to be hastily-thrown together like the ones in the previous room. This coffin was painted jet black and looked to be professionally built. Above the coffin was another quickly scribbled-in note:

_IT IS NEVER WISE TO WAKE A SLEEPING VAMPIRE..._

"What the living fuck…" Xephos breathed. Lysander looked as though he was about to say something when the top of the coffin suddenly swung open. The shape of Skylord_Vitali then rose from inside, arms still crossed over his chest for a moment before his eyes flew open. He looked paler than before, and both men saw that his eyes now glowed with an unholy shade of red. The undead Skylord still looked annoyed and judgmental as he turned to look at them.

"Vitali, you fiend! Look what you've done!" Lysander yelled angrily. The vampire showed no reaction.

"So, you have finally learned my secret." He said, his voice even more slow and calculating than before. Both Xephos and Lysander reached for their swords.

"It bloody looks like it, that's for sure!" Xephos shot back.

"I just have one question, Vitali, before I end your...undeath." Lysander paused for a moment, staring his former comrade in the eyes. "Why?"

Vitali gave a low chuckle, shaking his head at the younger Skylord.

"Power, Lysander. I did it for _power. _Dark Lord Israphel knows the true power Skyhold is capable of, and he offered me a grand prize to deliver it. Of course, a grand prize comes with a grand payment…" He motioned down at his scrawny pale frame and gave a smirk.

"No prize is worth the lives of your friends and family, Vitali! You will pay for what you have done." Lysander shot back. He entered an offensive position and pointed his scabbard towards the vampire's chest. Vitali just laughed again.

"We will see about that. Now, I think you've heard quite enough. You will die here. Alone."

"I'm not alone. I have one of the heroes by my side!" Lysander shot back.

"Yeah, there's two of us and one of you!" Xephos added, entering his own fighting stance.

"It is no difference, Lysander. You will_ BURN_!"

Suddenly, Vitali sprouted a pair of bat-like wings and rushed towards Lysander with amazing speed. Lysander managed to block Vitali's blow with his scabbard before thrusting the vampire back. Still, Vitali persisted, and within the next second he weaved his way behind the other Skylord and grabbed him by the back of his shirt. Lysander cried out in surprise before Vitali swept Lysander's legs out from under him before tossing him full force into the opposite wall. Lysander gave a grunt and tried to stand as Vitali drew close again, but this time he was blocked by Xephos. The Spaceman expertly slashed and stabbed at the vampire with his sword, but Vitali seemed to be one step ahead of him, predicting and dodging each attack separately. He then raised a wing and tried to bat away Xephos, but the Spaceman jumped back and managed to draw blood by cutting into Vitali's arm. The vampire hissed and backed away, gripping his injury before glaring at Xephos with a newfound hatred.

By now, Lysander had recovered from being slammed into the wall, and the Skylord stood and charged at Vitali again. The vampire, although a little distracted, managed to dodge the attack with ease. Seeing that both Xephos and Lysander were dogging him now, Vitali rushed forward and slammed their heads together, causing both men to grunt and fall to the ground. Although he was dazed and his vision was slightly blurred, Xephos looked up to see Vitali seize Lysander by the collar of his shirt and hoist him up. Lysander tried to reach for his scabbard lying nearby, but Vitali grabbed his wrist and slammed him up against a bookcase, a few books tumbling from their places at the force. When Xephos saw Vitali open his mouth to reveal long bloodstained fangs, the Spaceman instantly shot up and tackled the vampire, dragging him away from Lysander. Before Vitali could react, Xephos thrust his diamond sword straight through his chest. At first, the vampire's expression looked as if he was in immense pain before he looked at Xephos and smirked, followed by a deep laugh. Xephos, too busy being confused, was then kicked off of Vitali and knocked a few feet back.

"Fools, your weapons do nothing to me!" Vitali cried. He stood and acted as if the wound running through his chest was just a bruise. Only a small trickle of blood seeped from the injury, reminding the two of Vitali's undead state. Then, without warning, Vitali spread his wings and launched himself up into a secret panel located on the ceiling. It latched shut behind him, and Xephos and Lysander were left alone in the room. Both readied their weapons and scanned the area, expecting Vitali to pop out at any moment.

Suddenly, Xephos felt a hand grip his shoulder before Vitali's wings enveloped him and dragged him back. The Spaceman only gave a shout of surprise before a cold hand placed itself over his mouth. There was suddenly pitch black darkness surrounding him as the bookshelf slid back into place, locking both Xephos and Vitali in another secret compartment.

"I don't care if Master wants to kill you himself anymore," Vitali spoke. His wings tightened around Xephos the more he tried to break free. "Your blood… It's so rare, so foreign…so tempting…"

Xephos heard Vitali lick his lips as the vampire brought his free hand up close to the Spaceman's neck. Without warning, he used one of his long claws to carve into Xephos' neck. The Spaceman gave a muffled cry of pain as he tried to break free again. Vitali laughed.

"Are you in pain, Spaceman? Don't worry; it'll all be over soon…" The vampire's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke. "I am going to kill you now. Once I drain you dry, I'll finish Lysander and make his death far more painful than yours." He paused to make his incision in Xephos' neck deeper. Xephos cringed when he thought he'd struck an artery.

"Pleasant dreams now, Spaceman. I hope the afterlife is cold and miserable." With that, the Spaceman heard Vitali hiss and open his mouth to plunge his fangs into his neck. In a last effort, Xephos bit down hard on Vitali's hand covering his mouth. The vampire yelled in surprise and pain, and in this moment of confusion, released his hold on Xephos for the moment. The Spaceman then sprinted and slammed into the back of the bookshelf, forcing it open. Xephos then tripped and nearly slammed into Lysander, who meanwhile had been searching for a way to get the entrance into the hidden room open again.

"Xephos! Good gods, are you alright?" Lysander asked. Before Xephos could reply, Vitali leapt out from where Xephos had left him and tried to grab the Spaceman again, looking furious and driven by an extreme hunger. However, Lysander stabbed Vitali in his side, causing the vampire to shift his attention over to the younger Skylord. Xephos rolled onto his back and used his elbows to support him, one hand pressed against his neck as he tried to stop the massive amount of blood dripping from the gash. As he watched Lysander and Vitali fight, he recalled how Vitali had survived a stab from his diamond sword. How, then, do you kill a vampire if even diamond does nothing?

Just then, he remembered something. He quickly sat up and opened up his bag, desperately digging through it with his free hand. After a minute, he found it; the thin wooden stick he'd been carving a point into out of pure boredom. He propped himself up with his elbow again and turned back to the nearby fight.

"Lysander, catch!" He yelled, and with his remaining strength he threw the stake towards Lysander. The Skylord managed to find a moment to snatch it out of the air before he expertly tripped Vitali and pinned the vampire against the wall, plunging the wooden stick into his heart a moment later.

Vitali looked to be in genuine pain this time, and not just some act like before. He reached for his chest and fell to his knees, much more blood pouring from the wound now. The vampire gave one final glance up to Lysander, who simply stared back with hatred. Then Vitali grew limp as he fell against the floor, giving a heavy sigh as the life finally left him. Lysander simply stared at the body before he sighed.

"Vitali you poor, poor fool…" he said, shaking his head. Xephos gave a small smile before he suddenly felt lightheaded, and he was now unable to prop himself up with his elbows anymore. He heard Lysander rush over to him and kneel down as his back hit the cold stone floor underneath him. Xephos tried to sit up once again, but it was no use. A familiar cold wrapped around him as his eyes slid closed, darkness and silence enveloping him once again.


	32. Chapter 32: Tick Tock

**Separated**

**Chapter 32: Tick Tock**

* * *

Darkness. That's all there was. Xephos felt as if he was drifting through another empty void of black, unable to move. Despite the weightless sensation of floating, his limbs felt unnaturally heavy. He thought he heard a voice call out to him at random moments, but it was distant, making it hard to identify who or what was trying to speak to him. How long he had been here, he did not know. Seconds felt like days and minutes turned into millenniums. Was he dead? It was quite possible.

Every once in a while the darkness would morph into the eerie shape of Israphel. His image was barely there, almost like a ghost; a light-colored mist against a dark background. The Dark Lord wore another of his signature chilling smirks as he simply held out a welcoming hand towards the Spaceman, his smile saying everything for him. Xephos could only stare at the demon for what felt like the longest time before Israphel disappeared, his ghostly form dispersing as the Spaceman slipped in and out of something similar to unconsciousness. As Israphel faded away again, Xephos heard his voice echo through his mind:

_Tick, tock. Watch the clock. It appears you're running out of time._

And then, Xephos felt nothing.

* * *

"…ello? Xephos? Are you awake?"

Xephos gave a moan of annoyance when he became aware of sunlight shining directly into his eyes. He tried to turn his head to avoid the rays but suddenly cringed at an unexpected pain in his neck. He opened his eyes to see nothing but blurred colors before his vision corrected itself, and he realized he was staring up at a wooden ceiling. Lysander stood over him with a curious-yet-worried expression. Seeing that the Spaceman's eyes had finally opened, he gave a sigh of relief and sat back down in a chair placed next to Xephos' bed.

"Oh thank goodness. For a while there you had me believing that you wouldn't wake up." He said. Xephos sat up and gripped his forehead, giving another moan at his persisting grogginess.

"Lysander? Where am I? What happened?" He asked after a moment, looking over towards the Skylord sitting next to him. He gripped his head again and fell back against his pillow, a sudden wave of lightheadedness having washed over him.

"After you passed out, I dragged you back up to my house and took care of your neck injury." Lysander explained. "You lost an awful lot of blood down there, Xephos. You're lucky to be alive."

Xephos reached a hand up to his neck and dragged his fingers across the thick bandaging. The part of his neck that Vitali had sliced open was still very sensitive to even the slightest touch.

"Yeah, lucky…" He repeated absently. Lysander raised a brow at the Spaceman's unenthusiastic tone, but before he could ask about it, Xephos sat up again.

"How long was I out?" He asked next, looking back over to the other man. Lysander leaned back in his chair and pondered for a moment.

"Just a day and a half." He said at last. Xephos' eyes widened.

"_Just a day and a half?!" _He repeated in disbelief. He recalled Israphel's most recent message to him. He was almost out of time. Out of time for what? For his death? For Israphel's master plan to finally commence? For the loss of what little was left of his psyche? Everything was so vague it was infuriating. Before Lysander could protest, Xephos leapt out of bed and went to grab his things, ignoring the stiffness of his joints from not moving for so long. Both his bag and his sword were resting near the opposite wall. Xephos had just gripped his sword sheath's strap when he felt Lysander's firm grip fall upon his shoulder. In an instant the Skylord spun the Spaceman around.

"And what in Notch's name do you think you're doing?" He asked, giving Xephos a firm glare. "You've just woken up from a near-death experience! You need to rest, or else the mobs will slaughter you if you encounter any!"

"Lysander, please. I've gained enough rest from napping for almost two days." Xephos gave an equally-firm glare as he pushed Lysander back, turning to grab his things again. "Besides, I don't have time to sit around! I need to find that map fragment and find it fast. And if you're not willing to help me…" He paused to look at Lysander as he slid his bag onto his shoulder, his sword already strapped to his back. "…I guess so be it."

With that, the Spaceman turned and headed for the door. He had only opened it halfway when Lysander spoke up again.

"Xephos, wait." His tone of voice told the Spaceman that he was about to receive another lecture. He turned to face the Skylord again, preparing for whatever the other man had to say, but Lysander hesitated. After a moment of silence, he gave a defeated sigh.

"...I'll be atop the middle spire when you're done with the final test." He finished. Xephos just smiled and gave a mock-salute before taking off down the path. He passed the apple tree again, the hole leading down to Vitali's hideout still there. Forgetting the tree and what events transpired there, he rushed down the cobblestone pathway and stopped in front of the third and final gate. He looked up and read the sign above it.

_Test #3: The Trial of Life and Death_

_Create Life to preserve your own_

Just past the gate was a chest leaning against the wall. Curious, Xephos walked over and flipped the lid open. Inside were a handful of tree saplings and a small woven bag. He took the bag and untied the top open, finding a strange white-colored powder that gave off a faint glow. He reached in and let the material slip through his fingers.

"Is this Bone Meal?" He asked himself. He recalled that Honeydew had mentioned that he had encountered a strange druid somewhere in the ruins of Mistral City. The same druid had given him enchanted Bone Meal that could grow trees to their full size immediately. This must be the same type of stuff.

Figuring that these items were a necessity for the trial ahead, Xephos carefully picked up the saplings, five in all, before placing them down safely inside his bag. Keeping the bag of Bone Meal in his fist, the Spaceman then continued down the tunnel. The mossy cobblestone soon opened up into a tree-filled glade, a crumbling cobblestone temple located in the center. The entrance was nearly covered completely by thick cobwebs, but Xephos managed to hack is way through them with his sword. As he continued deeper into the crumbling building, it grew very dark very fast, and Xephos found that he had to light a torch just to see where he was going. The Spaceman walked for a minute or two before the walls around him grew farther apart. He nearly walked straight off a ledge while trying to look around.

The new chamber around him seemed to be huge, but it was impossible to tell its exact size due to the terrible lighting. Far across towards the opposite wall came a green glow, the light enough to reveal the beginnings of another hallway. Xephos took another look around and noticed that a set of lichen-draped stairs led down into the darkness below. He carefully followed them to the lower level. The new floor was cobblestone that was thickly covered with moss and other plants, but the space around him seemed to be entirely empty. The Spaceman frowned.

"Now what am I supposed to do here?" He asked. He paced the perimeter of the square chamber to make sure that he wasn't missing anything. Once every wall had been inspected, Xephos sighed. There was no visible way up and over to the other hall. He was stuck.

Just then he remembered the hint given at the front gate. _Create Life to preserve your own. _Quickly, Xephos took another look around the room again. At first he found nothing like before, but the Spaceman soon saw what he had missed earlier. Near the center of the chamber were places where the cobblestone changed into patches of dirt. He counted five separate piles in a straight line leading from the ledge he had entered on over to the other hall. The gears in his head finally clicked, and Xephos pulled out the saplings from his bag. He quickly dug a small hole into each patch of dirt before placing a sapling inside, dusting off his hands with his pants before he opened the bag of Bone Meal again. He then went around and sprinkled a portion of the powder on each sapling, and within the next second, each had sprouted into a full grown oak tree.

Xephos couldn't help but give a little smile before he turned and headed back up the stairs to where he had first entered the room. The Spaceman now looked across the gap to see that a makeshift path had formed from the trees' many branches. He carefully hopped from one to the next, each limb sturdy enough to support his incoming weight, before making it safely over to the other side. Xephos then continued before the corridor opened up into another room again.

There sat the third and final pedestal; this one looking to be a small tree specially grown to appear like it was holding something. In another beam of light floated a small crescent-shaped leaf, a green wisp circling it in the same "X" pattern like the other two artifacts. The Spaceman took the leaf from its place and was teleported to the front gate in another flash of white light.

Xephos placed it next to the other two artifacts in his bag before turning his attention to the massive tower located at the heart of Skyhold. He had never really taken the time to examine it before. The large structure stood tall and erect, a few small piles of snow covering the flat portions of the roof. It was built out of a mix of refined concrete and sandstone, more curious runes etched into the yellow stone like the ones he had seen before. Such runes only clarified that Skyhold was built a very, very long time ago. Xephos admired the architecture for a moment before he broke his gaze and continued up the steps, passing through another wall before entering the building's main foyer.

The first thing the Spaceman saw was a pair of spiral staircases. Both were located at the center of the round room, winding around each other in a double helix. Between the two flights of sandstone steps were a series of floating white orbs, their only purpose seeming to be a magical source of light. The orbs lofted around slowly, every once in a while making a metallic twinkling sound; the kind similar to striking a high note on a xylophone. Once again, the architecture was strikingly beautiful. Xephos gave it a quick glance before he started up one of the spiral staircases, heading all the way up to the roof.

The Spaceman was greeted by a rush of cold air as he emerged on the middle spire's rooftop. From here he could see all of Skyhold and the northern sea surrounding it. He could even spot the very edge of land all the way across the water on the horizon. Xephos stopped and gazed out towards the view in front of him, feeling the slight breeze on his back. He then glanced over the edge of the building and wondered if anyone could die from the fall if he decided to shove them over the side.

"Oh, there you are, Xephos. I'm glad you've made it." Lysander's voice caught the Spaceman's attention. Xephos turned to see the Skylord a few feet behind him, approaching with his arms casually folded behind his back. "Do you have everything?"

"Sure do." Xephos replied. He unzipped his bag and pulled out the three artifacts, each floating equidistance from the center of his palm. Lysander smiled.

"Excellent! Now follow me. There's one last thing we need to do." With that he turned and walked closer to the center of the roof, a wooden ladder leading to the top of a platform. Xephos put the artifacts back in his bag for a moment before he followed Lysander up the ladder and onto the elevated surface. The platform had been swept clean of snow, unlike the rest of the roof, and a wooden hatch sat directly at its center. There was no visible handle, latch, or anything that could be used to open the thing. There was also no place to stick a sword or crowbar to pry it open, either. The hatch was sealed shut to the sandstone surrounding it. Lysander walked around it and faced Xephos once he was across from the Spaceman.

"Take the artifacts out again, please." He instructed. Xephos gave a nod and did as told. He looked at the three floating objects as they floated in his hand, not sure what to do next. He looked at Lysander for guidance, but he question was soon answered without the Skylord's help.

It was slow at first, but he noticed that the three artifacts had started to rise away from his hand. Within the next few seconds, they floated over to high above the wooden hatch, beginning to orbit around each other now. The rotation gradually began to increase in speed before a thin beam of white light formed at the center of the spinning circle. It projected itself down onto the center of the hatch, the light diffusing and beginning to trace the outline of the wood. Once the outline was complete, the seal keeping the hatch closed broke and the wooden door fell open, revealing a metal ladder that led down into a room far below. With their job done, the three artifacts stopped their rotation and rocketed off back to where they belonged, a trail of red, blue, and green left behind by the respective bearers of each color.

"Well…that was unexpected." Xephos said after a moment of silence, completely awestruck by the magic that had just unfolded in front of him. Lysander just gave a small smile before he continued down the hatch, the Spaceman snapping back to reality and following a few moments later.

The new room was solely lit by the sunlight, the warm rays pouring in from the hatch now high above the two men. Xephos felt his feet touch the ground before he stepped off the ladder and looked around the small space. The entire room was constructed of a reinforced metal, a few maps of Minecraftia pinned up to the walls. Various pins and markers were strewn all over the maps, but what they meant was a mystery to the Spaceman. Xephos turned and noticed a large terminal to the right of the ladder, taking up almost the entire length of the metal wall behind it. It was still strange seeing such technology in a place like Minecraftia, but this terminal was far less advanced than the one he and Honeydew had seen during their visit to the Nether. It had two separate screens mounted to the wall and a radar built into the dashboard, but its controls seemed limited.

"Welcome to Skyhold's control room." Lysander said, walking over to the terminal to study one of the blank screens. "This is where we regulate the thrusters so Skyhold doesn't crash into the sea. But that's all there is! Why did Grandfather say we had to come here?"

Before Xephos could reply, Lysander suddenly jolted like he remembered something.

"Oh, that's right! How silly of me to forget." He turned and pulled a pair of goggles and a small golden badge from his pant pocket, showing them to Xephos a moment later. "For completing the three Tests of the Skylords, I'm proud to present to you the honorary Skylord badge and goggles! Welcome to the team, Xephos. You've earned it."

Xephos smiled and graciously accepted both, letting the goggles hang from his neck for the time being as he looked over the badge. It was shaped like a biplane, and a capital "S" was carved into the side of the small aircraft. Xephos pinned the small badge to his shirt over his heart, letting his coat cover it for now.

"Thanks, Lysander. Now, about what your granddad said, I have no idea." He spoke after a moment. Both men simply stood and thought about what to do, a few beeps sounding from the terminal occasionally. After a few minutes of silence, Lysander frowned as he pulled out a compact computer disc. Xephos looked over and raised a brow.

"What's that?"

"I'm not sure. Once you were safe back at my house, I went to investigate Vitali's chamber under the apple tree again. I found this in his possession after looking around a bit." Lysander replied. He flipped the disc over in his hands to study it again.

"Can the terminal read it?" Xephos asked, looking over at the metal contraption next to them. Lysander looked over and gave a hum of thought.

"Let's see if it can." He replied. The Skylord searched the dashboard until he found a slot that the disc could fit in. He slid the disc in and waited as nothing happened for the next few moments. Suddenly, there was the sound of something booting up as both monitors flickered to life. Many codes and sequences of numbers flashed across the screen as the dashboard began to change. The two panels that made up the dashboard began to pull apart from each other, making room for a third panel rising up to fill the gap. The new panel consisted of an assortment of buttons, a single lever which ends were labeled "F" and "R", and a plane's steering yoke modified to fit onto the socket on the dash. Lysander and Xephos simply stared as the change completed.

"Oh my Notch…" Lysander looked over the new controls and smiled out of amazement. "This is unbelievable! Skyhold has a propulsion system! It can move? How did Vitali get the startup for this?"

"No idea. Maybe this is what he meant by 'Skyhold's true power' or whatever." Xephos replied, changing his voice to imitate Vitali's as he quoted the newly-dead vampire.

"You must be right. If Israphel was granted control over Skyhold, he would've used it for a new fortress! Thank you, hero. Your efforts have saved many this day."

"Uh, it's all part of the job." Xephos replied, giving a shrug as he did. He wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. "Besides, you helped too."

"I suppose."

"Right. So now that this whole murder mystery thing is wrapped up and I'm an official Skylord now, where's this map piece?" Xephos asked, looking around the room again. Lysander frowned.

"Oh right, I had completely forgotten about that. Looks like we still need to find it." The Skylord replied. Xephos gave a frustrated sigh before he noticed a large chest crammed into the small room's corner. He walked over and looked inside.

"Broken monitors? Why are you keeping these around?" he asked, pulling one out. Lysander shrugged.

"They're still usable with minor modification. Their hardware just needs to be replaced." He replied. The Spaceman flipped the monitor over to see that the bottom had been ripped open so the inner mechanisms could be removed. No wonder it felt so light.

Right when Xephos was about to place the monitor back in the chest, something caught his eye. There was writing on the back side of the screen, but it was impossible to read from looking at it the way he was holding it. He flipped the monitor over and tried to read it through the hole on the bottom.

"What? Have you found something?" Lysander asked, raising a brow at the Spaceman's behavior.

"Yeah, it looks like something's written here on the back of the screen. I can't really read it though…" Xephos flipped the monitor over in his hands a few more times before he sighed.

"Screw it." He then slipped his head through the hole on the bottom of the broken monitor. Lysander just stared at the Spaceman in confusion.

"You are quite barmy indeed…" He mumbled. Xephos ignored him as he finally managed to read what was written.

_IT'S TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN_

"Turtles? Wait… that's it!" Xephos quickly slipped the monitor off his head and placed it back in the chest before taking off back up the ladder as quick as he could. Lysander stared up after him.

"Where're you going?"

"No time! Just meet me by the giant turtle!"

"Giant_ what_?"

"Just get below Skyhold."

With that, Xephos reached the top of the ladder and leapt off the platform, landing on the roof below. The Spaceman then balanced himself from the short fall before sprinting down the spiral staircase, careful not to trip or fall off the side. Once back to the main level, Xephos never stopped running until he reached the gate that lead to the Trial of Ice. He reentered the tunnel that lead out to the area around the ice maze, the layer of snow much deeper here than the rest of Skyhold. He followed the wall of ice around until he found a place where it fell away, allowing him to step up to the edge of the platform and stare down at the ocean far below.

The turtle was still there, but it was closer to the center of Skyhold. If he survived the jump, it would be a very long and very cold swim over towards where he needed to be. Xephos gave a sigh.

"Well, here goes…" The Spaceman took in a big gulp of air and walked off the edge. He felt the air around him grow all the more cold as it raced past him. It suddenly stopped when he felt himself go under the waves, the impact from the water enough to knock the wind out of him. Still, Xephos managed to hold a portion of his air in as he recovered from being disoriented. He then propelled himself up towards the surface, struggling with the freezing temperature of the water around him. He knew his head breached the surface when another rush of cold air hit his face. Xephos opened his eyes and looked around, seeing the turtle's shell sticking up out of the water some number of yards away. In an instant he started swimming, keeping his muscles moving to prevent himself from entering hypothermic shock.

After a few painstaking minutes of swimming, the Spaceman finally reached the turtle. It was clear now that the thing was not living; it was some large metal contraption built to resemble the creature. Judging by Lysander's reaction to the mention of it back at the control room, it was obvious it wasn't supposed to be here. Xephos pulled himself up into the fake turtle's open mouth, grateful to be out of the cold at last. He allowed himself a rest before getting up and continuing deeper into the machine. As he walked, his surroundings began to shift more and more into the black metal he and Honeydew had found down in the Nether. He soon discovered a room with another highly-advanced computer terminal, more encrypted text racing across the large screen. Xephos walked over and studied the machine for a moment before he noticed something sitting on the end of the dash. It was a small piece of parchment, neatly folded in half in the best way possible with its ripped edges. The Spaceman walked over and unfolded it, recognizing the strange markings instantly. The third map fragment had been found!

Xephos took out his original piece from his pant pocket, which had surprisingly taken no water damage at all despite the long swim over here, and compared it to the new piece. The two fragments seemed to form the bottom half of the map, but it was still undecipherable without the top portion of the map. He tucked both map pieces away and turned to leave this strange place, reentering the turtle's mouth a few minutes later.

In the time he had entered the turtle until now, a float of ice had drifted closer to his current location. Xephos looked over to see Lysander on said float of ice, standing next to a blue biplane with a yellow stripe painted along the side. The Skylord noticed Xephos and gave a wave, signaling him to come over. Xephos braced himself for the cold before he dove in, quickly swimming over to Lysander's location. The Skylord helped him up onto the ice.

"You must be freezing." Lysander said, looking Xephos over. The Spaceman only just smiled in reply as he tried to keep himself from shaking.

"It's not _that _cold." He lied. As long as he didn't have to enter the water again for whatever reason, he would be fine.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Lysander asked. Xephos nodded and pulled out the map pieces.

"Yep. I suppose that means we're done here." He said. Lysander gave a nod and looked up to Skyhold.

"As you continue your quest, I must stay here and rebuild the Skylords. It seems I'm the head of Skyhold now, with Jasper being a lower rank than me." He looked back towards Xephos again. "Although we part ways for now, you and Honeydew will have both my sword and the power of Skyhold to aide you in the final battle. Until that day, good luck, hero."

"Yeah, good luck to you too." The Spaceman replied with a small smile. The two men shook hands to settle the agreement before Lysander pulled out another black box.

"I suppose this will help you get to where you need to go next. Do you have any idea on where to start?" He asked, handing Xephos the box. The Spaceman took it and thought a moment.

"I think so." He said after a few seconds. He then pressed the large button on the center of the box before placing it down, watching as it unfolded into a deep maroon biplane with a black and white bullseye painted on the side and the tail for contrast. The Spaceman climbed into the driver's seat and looked down to Lysander again.

"See you soon, Lysander." He said, giving the new head of Skyhold a salute. Lysander smiled and returned the gesture.

"See you soon, Xephos. Oh, and one last thing…"

"What?"

"Try not to crash this time."

Xephos chuckled as he pulled his goggles over his eyes, quickly drying off the lenses with his shirt beforehand.

"I won't." He replied, starting up the engine correctly this time. Lysander watched as the Spaceman took off and turned his plane towards the south, the sun just starting to set behind the horizon in the background. Once the plane was out of sight, the Skylord turned and climbed up into his own plane, taking off to return to Skyhold.

* * *

Daisy sighed as she sat in the corner of her cell, keeping her knees close to her chest. Another boring day had passed; terrible food, terrible water, and the constant moaning and groaning made it near impossible to sleep. Not to mention that Israphel had taken away the one thing that had made her extended stay here bearable. How long had it been since Xephos had been dragged away? A week? Two? It felt like years.

Only Notch knew what had happened to the Spaceman once Israphel had taken him away. The possibilities were endless; he was killed, he was tortured and then killed, he was killed and then his body was left as a meal for Israphel's zombie hordes... Needless to say, no outcome looked pleasant. She missed him. She missed Honeydew. But most of all, she missed Peculier.

Daisy was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a knock on the door. She looked up to see that dreaded pale face through the barred window. Israphel.

"How's my precious little flower doing today?" He asked in a mocking tone. Daisy glared up at him.

"Oh, it's you." She muttered.

"Yes, it's me. Were you expecting someone else? Maybe you thought your knight in shining armor had finally come and rescue you." The Dark Lord chuckled and leaned on the door. Daisy only continued to glare up at him.

"What the hell do you want with me? I'm no threat to you. Am I a distraction? A pawn? C'mon, spit it out. I think I deserve to know." She snapped. Israphel looked unfazed, keeping his taunting smirk glued to his face.

"In truth, Miss Duke, you deserve nothing. But I'm feeling generous today, so I'll tell you this…" The demon looked Daisy straight in the eyes. "You are a _very _important part of my plan, Miss Duke. Without you, all my efforts would go to waste when the time comes. And do you know _when _the time comes? It comes very, very soon."

Israphel chuckled again; a laugh to send a chill down Daisy's spine. Before she could reply, she saw Israphel turn his head to look at a newcomer walking down the hall. By the angle of the Dark Lord's gaze, the newcomer appeared to be very short.

"Master, we have gathered the items you have requested." A new voice spoke. The sound was deep and throaty. Daisy had heard something like it before. The newcomer was definitely a dwarf.

"You have? Where are they?" Israphel asked. Daisy heard the little man rummage around before it stopped, and Israphel now held up a small sack. He untied the top and reached inside, pulling out a small odd orb. The glassy texture was a mix of blue and green, the two colors blending with no real border between where one color started and another ended.

"So they've resurfaced?" Israphel asked. Daisy had no idea who "they" were.

"That's correct, Master. Our tampering has been enough to allow them back onto the Overworld."

"Excellent. With luck they won't bother our efforts much. They have already served their purpose." Israphel quit studying the orb in his hand and placed it back into the sack, tying it shut again. "Is that all you have to report, Finbar?"

"Yes, Master. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go deal with an…infestation problem." Finbar spoke. The way Israphel looked down at him showed that he knew _exactly _what the dwarf was talking about.

"Get to it, then. _Do not fail me."_

"Of course, Master Israphel." With that, Daisy heard the dwarf quickly scuttle back down the hall. Israphel smirked and looked back down at her.

"Remember, Miss Duke; tick, tock. Watch the clock. It's only a matter of time."

With that, the Dark Lord turned and continued down the hall, leaving a speechless Daisy Duke alone in her cell once more.

* * *

_Author's Note: I'M FREE! Well, technically I've got two more days of school filled with nothing but I'M FREE!_

_So this chapter was both fun and a pain to write. We've finished up Major Storyarc #3 and will be moving on to #4 sometime in the near future. :) __We also get to see Daisy again! Hmm, what's that, Israphel? You need strange orbs? And what was that other you thing you needed? Glowing rods? I wonder what you're up to, you little devil..._

_Also just a random piece of information: My poor decision to edit these chapters right before I go to bed has finally come to bite me in the butt. I'll be going back and fixing ALL the major typos throughout the chapters because they were starting to annoy my perfectionist side. Please don't PM me to point out where the typos are; I've already managed to pinpoint and keep note of most of them._

_Well, this Author's Note was certainly long. I'll stop it here before it gets worse. See you next time!_

_P.S. Glory to Arstotzka._

_~DR_


	33. Chapter 33: Welcome to Stoneholm

**Separated**

**Chapter 33: Welcome to Stoneholm**

* * *

**A few days earlier…**

Honeydew sighed, having practically flung himself over Isabel's ship's side railing. He stood there with most of his upper body hanging over the side as he stared down at the calm water below, lazily gripping his helmet by one of its decorative ivory horns. He understood why Xephos had to leave, but that couldn't stop the Dwarf from missing him. Not to mention he had no idea where to go now. The next map piece could be anywhere in Minecraftia! This fact on top of that strange dream he had received last night made things much worse. Verigan had said something about a deadline. He wondered if Xephos had received the same warning.

Honeydew was snapped from his thoughts when he heard footfalls begin to approach him from behind. He stood straight and turned to face the newcomer, leaning back on the intricate wooden rail as he did. Isabel_Peculier stood before him now, her expression one of concern.

"Most of the others have left for Icaria, Honeydew, and I'm afraid I must do the same. Will you be sailing with us, or will continue your quest here?" She asked. She gave a nod over to Tinman, who was standing by the ship's wheel, before facing the Dwarf again. "I understand that you're feeling a little…disheartened at the moment, but I need an answer now."

Honeydew stared at Isabel for a few good seconds before he sighed again, placing his iron helm back onto his cranium.

"I've overstayed my welcome. I think I'll take it from here." He said at last. He then mustered a smile and bowed slightly, taking Isabel's hand and kissing it. "Thank you for your generosity, milady."

Isabel just smiled as her cheeks became tinted with the faintest of reds again.

"It was nothing, good dwarf. Think little of it." She replied. The two shared a brief handshake before Honeydew turned to leave. Just then, a new voice spoke, catching both of them by surprise.

"Ahoy up there! Is anyone home?" It called. Isabel and Honeydew shared a confused glance before they both moved to look over the side railing. Spacker_LeChuck sat in a rather large rowboat, the undead pirate at the rower's seat with both oars gripped in his hands. Noticing the two up on board, he gave a wave.

"Spacker? What're you doing here? Angus left hours ago!" Isabel exclaimed. Spacker just smiled and gave a hearty chuckle.

"Well, I've taken some time off. Ol' Angus can manage without me for a month or two." He then looked at Honeydew. "You still lookin' for that map, mate? I've caught wind of a rumor speakin' of one. I may be able to help ye."

"Yes, I am! Count me in!" Honeydew called down, a huge grin having formed on his face. Perhaps he wouldn't have to spend weeks searching for this damn piece of parchment after all!

"Well hop in!" Spacker responded. Honeydew nodded and climbed down using Isabel's rope ladder, taking a seat opposite of Spacker as the zombie began to push off towards the shore.

"Goodbye you two! You've both been a great help. Be careful!" Isabel shouted after them.

"You too, Isabel!" Spacker yelled in return. Honeydew grinned again and stood up, cupping his gloved hands around his mouth as he shouted his next words.

"Goodbye, my sweet Isabel! Keep the beer warm and the hearth cold! Wait, no, is it the other way around?" He paused to ponder this when Spacker yanked him back down into his seat.

"Careful! You'll flip the boat." He mumbled. Honeydew just laughed as they continued in silence for the next minute or two. Spacker was the first to speak as they approached land.

"Aye, that map be nothin' but trouble. It is said that it's been stirrin' up chaos back at me home hold, Stoneholm." He said. He turned to Honeydew, and his bloodshot eyes widened in realization for the first time. "Say, what happened to that other fella you were fightin' Jock with? He's not comin'?"

"Uh, he had…other business to attend to." Honeydew replied, awkwardly rubbing the back of his head. Spacker just gave a nod as the rowboat was propelled up onto the sand. He climbed out and waited for Honeydew to do the same.

"Which way's Stoneholm?" Honeydew asked. Spacker gave a hum of thought as he scanned the horizon. His eyes fell upon a certain direction before he pointed towards a jumble of trees a little ways away from their current location.

"Thataway. We should find a path soon enough if we head straight. I must warn ye though; it'll be about a full day hike."

"No problem. No let's get goin'!" Honeydew replied. The two dwarves then began their trek to Stoneholm. Within the first hour they had passed by the remains of Mistral City, having worked their way around the cliffs that housed Skull Pass. Swampy's island still floated high above the rapidly expanding forest, but it was unclear if the druid was present or not. More time passed, and the sun was still high in the sky when they stumbled upon a luxurious manor stationed by not only a small lake but a cove as well. As they continued down the cobblestone path, neither dwarf could ignore the lugubrious wails coming from inside the giant mansion. Whoever it was, he was surely throwing a hissy-fit about _something _big. Honeydew gave an annoyed exhale out of his nose.

"Sheesh, shut the hell up already!" He exclaimed. Both he and Spacker were glad when they finally drew far enough away from the cries. They encountered no other notable landmarks for the rest of the day, the sun starting to set behind the hills in the distance. The two decided that it was best to continue through the night, and luckily only a few monsters dared to engage with them for the next few hours.

About an hour after the sun rose into the sky again did the path come to an end. Honeydew looked up to see the tall hill before him now. Up from the dirt base sprouted cliffs of stone. Carved into one side of a cliff was a tall, wide platform. The staircase leading up to it hugged the left wall. Up on the platform stood a massive iron double door, and on either side of it, two dwarven banners flapped in the wind. Beside the banners flowed streams of lava, the molten rock oozing from a channel high above and into pools below. Before all that stood a smaller wooden double door built into a cobblestone wall, said wall blocking off entry to the main compound. The wooden doors were opened slightly, allowing them easy access inside. The Dwarf heard Spacker chuckle again.

"Ah, here we are! Home sweet home. C'mon mate. I'm sure you haven't been inside yer own turf for quite a while now." The undead said as he began to make his way to the stairs. Honeydew followed behind, continuing to study his people's handiwork as he did.

"You can say that again." He replied. The two climbed up to the colossal iron doors, passing by another fountain of lava at the center of the courtyard. Spacker walked up to the doors and gave a loud knock. There was no reply for a moment before a slit in the metal slid open. A glaring pair of golden irises greeted them.

"Oi, what you want?" It snapped. Spacker seemed to recognize the voice.

"Kormag_Darkforge? It's me, yer old pal Spacker! How's it been?" He asked, a smile forming on his face. Kormag's glare only intensified.

"Stoneholm be havin' no visitors at the moment." He spoke. Spacker looked confused.

"What? But you have to let us in! We're dwarves! You wouldn't turn your brothers away, would ye?" Spacker pleaded. Kormag gave an annoyed sigh.

"I told ye already. No one enters, no one leaves. There be a rotting plague here 'n Stoneholm. No one's enterin' and that's final! Get lost!"

With that, Kormag slammed the slit closed, the two metals colliding with each other and giving off a loud _thump._ Both Spacker and Honeydew jumped back when two steel bars suddenly slid out to barricade the double door. Spacker just gave a heavy sigh as Honeydew scratched his head.

"Well, he wasn't very nice…" The Dwarf mumbled. Spacker looked up at the doors and gave another hum of thought.

"Kormag, the guard captain, is not as I remember 'im." He said absently. "And what's this about a plague? It makes no sense, mate! Us dwarves are immune to plagues. Tis the rock in our blood, it is."

"Huh. I completely forgot about that." Honeydew replied. Spacker mumbled something to himself as he turned to hobble away, heading towards the right side of the stone platform.

"This is all because o' that damn map if ye ask me. C'mon, I know a back way in. This needs investigatin'."

"Agreed." Honeydew replied. Spacker lead him up onto a lower part of the hill before they began to work their way around Stoneholm's steep slopes. Honeydew moved slowly and carefully, knowing that one misstep could lead to his death. Eventually the two made their way over to a skylight on the back side of the hill. After making sure the glass could hold his weight, Honeydew stepped onto it and looked down. There was at least a twelve foot drop down onto solid stone.

"That doesn't look very safe." He said, giving a nervous gulp.

"Not there! Over here." Spacker called. Honeydew looked over to see the undead dwarf standing by another window slightly higher up. He frowned.

"Oh." Honeydew then climbed up to where Spacker was and looked through the window. He could see the back end of the iron doors they had encountered earlier, and there was only a seven foot drop down onto the stone this time. Honeydew took his pickaxe off his belt and used the end of the hilt to smash open the window. The two waited for a moment to see if any guards would come rushing, but none did. Spacker jumped down as Honeydew followed, both dwarves turning to continue down more steps carved out from the cliffs. Noticing movement in the room ahead of them, Honeydew stopped and grabbed Spacker by the arm, nearly tearing it right out of its decaying socket. Spacker shot the Dwarf an annoyed glare as he fixed his arm while Honeydew looked down the stairs towards where he had seen movement. From his current angle, he could just make out the shape of another dwarf asleep in a chair, legs up on a table and snoring loudly. As both Honeydew and Spacker tiptoed past, Honeydew couldn't ignore the fact that the sleeping dwarf's skin had a bluish color to it. Perhaps this was part of this mysterious plague.

Honeydew and Spacker then continued to creep slowly down the stairs, the steps twisting back and forth through each other in a zigzag downward. Eventually they flattened out into a long hall, the area illuminated by lava running through the walls. The molten material's light shined through heat-resistant glass panels as it flowed through vents that circulated it throughout Stoneholm. The two dwarves continued silently, coming upon a large rectangular chamber further ahead. The cobblestone ceiling was very high, and a series of stone pillars and arches running near the walls helped support it. In the center of the room sat a large steel anvil, the workplace surrounded by stone chairs and benches so many could fit around it. From the anvil sprouted three long red carpets, each leading to a door that led elsewhere in the hold. The only wall with no exit, the one currently opposite of Honeydew and Spacker, was lit up by more lava, the glass panels this time arranged to look like Stoneholm's crest; an eagle in mid-flight.

"Wow. And I thought Khaz Modan was impressive." Honeydew replied, looking around. As he and Spacker approached the large anvil, he noticed someone sitting next to it for the first time. It was another dwarf, vaguely resembling Spacker in a way, although he was much younger. He looked to be in his late teens in dwarven years, for the reddish-orange fuzz on his cheeks had just barely begun to sprout into a beard. He also had a black steel helm with a yellow stripe running down the middle, which was currently sitting askew atop his head. He looked over when he heard the two approach.

"Uncle Spacker? Is that you?" He asked, his voice rather high-pitched compared to other dwarves. It was most likely caused by his young age. Spacker smiled and walked up to the young dwarf, pulling him into a hug.

"Rory! It's good to see you, lad!" The undead laughed. Rory smiled as the two parted the embrace before he frowned at the two's condition.

"You look awful, but quickly! I must hide you!" The young dwarf looked around the room before he rushed over to the door to their left, motioning for the two to follow. Both silently complied, Honeydew having taken out his trusty pickaxe just in case. Rory led them into the next area after they passed through another hall, and the three emerged into what looked to be Stoneholm's shopping district. To the party's left sat a pub, currently empty by the looks of it, while to their right sat stairs that led up to the next area. Right next to both sat a flow of lava that cut the space in half. Rory led the two older dwarves over a cobblestone bridge and into the armory shop across the way. The small shop was crammed with many finely-crafted dwarven weapons and tools, including swords, bows, arrows, and pickaxes, each having a designated place either on a wall or on a rack. After glancing back out the door, Rory stepped behind the L-shaped counter and felt along the underside of it. Soon, Honeydew heard a _click _similar to that one he had heard back at Duke's Smithy, and a bookcase to the right of Rory slid open, revealing stairs to a compartment above them.

"This way." Rory squeaked in a yelled whisper, motioning the two to follow him again. Both Spacker and Honeydew shared a look before the two followed Rory up into what seemed to be a small loft. In the far corner sat a single bed, but two bedrolls had been set up beside it. The room was lit up by a single torch, although plenty of light poured in through the large one-way window taking up the entirety of the right wall. Rory now sat on the bed while another dwarf stood near the window. She was short, even for a dwarf, and how her blonde hair contrasted against an emerald green skirt and midriff reminded Honeydew of Daisy. Her hair was kept short, save for a single strand that framed her face that was tied up in a braid, and a small white flower was resting behind her ear. She turned to face the newcomers, revealing short light-colored facial hair around her lips and lower cheeks.

"Moria? What's going on?" Spacker asked in a rather loud tone. Moria harshly shushed him before she turned towards the window again.

"Keep it down! They'll hear ye." She replied. Like all dwarves, her voice contained a Scottish-sounding accent to it. "Rory, dim the lights."

With a nod, Rory reached over and grabbed the torch off its place on the wall, blowing it out. The room was much dimmer now, but the river of lava in the plaza below still made it possible to see.

"There's no plague, but Stoneholm has indeed fallen." Rory spoke, sadness eminent on both his face and within his voice.

"What!?" Spacker shouted. He received a clap over the mouth by Honeydew's hand. The Dwarf couldn't help but smile a bit; he was usually on the receiving end on such an exchange.

"Shh! Here they come." Moria whispered from her post near the window. Honeydew and Spacker crouched down next to Moria and peered out the window. Down from the stairs from the right of the entrance marched a lineup of dwarves, each having a blue tint to their skin like Honeydew had observed before. The three in the front looked to be in the worst condition. They hobbled their way down the steps on what looked to be unsteady legs, and Honeydew thought he heard them moaning. He made a connection in his head and looked at Moria next to him.

"Are they zombies?" he asked. Moria only gave a "Shh!" in return before she turned back to the scene playing out below them. Behind the first three came two more. The first was very broad-shouldered, looking to have been born with extra size and strength than the average dwarf. He sported a long brown beard and what looked to be specialized guard armor. The second, an older dwarf with a thick grey beard, tagged along behind the group. He stood tall and confident, and Honeydew noticed a decorated golden helm sitting atop his head.

"Are you sure it was them?" The older dwarf asked as he reached the bottom of the stone stairs. His voice was low and it boomed like thunder. His apparent colleague, the guard dwarf, turned to him and nodded.

"Aye, two dwarves. One of 'em looked to be the one that's friends with the alien." He spoke. Honeydew recognized the voice. The second speaker was Kormag_Darkforge, the one who had greeted he and Spacker at Stoneholm's door.

"Are the doors sealed?" Asked the first dwarf. Kormag nodded again.

"Aye."

"Good." The older dwarf paused to watch as the first three dwarves began to search the shops around them, moaning and groaning with each movement. "The Portal construction is complete. I want you to up patrols, jus' in case they made it inside. But first…Rory? Come here please."

The dwarf with the golden helmet looked around, reddish-brown eyes narrowed as he looked for young Rory. Honeydew heard Rory nervously swallow behind him before he hustled out of the room, heading back down the way they had come. A few seconds later, those remaining in the loft saw him walk out onto the bridge.

"You called, King_Finbar?" He asked, nervously rubbing his hands together behind his back.

"How is that obsidian coming along?" The older dwarf, presumably Finbar, asked next.

"Oh! Um, I-I just finished the next batch, actually. R-Refined into cubes, just like you requested!" Rory gave a shaky reply. Finbar gave a low chuckle, either pleased with the young dwarf's work or amused by his constant stuttering.

"Good, good. We have enough now. You have served me well. I think a reward is in order…"

Finbar smirked as he slowly raised his hand, curling his fingers as he prepared to snap. What happened next could've been missed in the blink of an eye. There was a flash of light, and Honeydew thought he saw the form of Israphel manifest in Finbar's place for a moment before it quickly dispersed. Finbar snapped his fingers, and a spout of flames shot out towards Rory. The young dwarf had no time to run as the fire began to spiral around him. When it cleared, Rory's skin had gained the same blue tint as the other dwarves, and he hunched over as he began to moan. Finbar gave another dark laugh as he turned to face Kormag.

"Ah, I feel his power coursing through me…" He said, mostly to himself. He then looked to the captain of the guards as he expression grew serious again.

"Go interrogate the prisoner again. If he does not speak, kill him and destroy this place. I will be at the Portal, preparing the power transfer."

"Yes, my king." Kormag gave a respectful bow before he turned to the zombie dwarves still searching the plaza. He shouted something at them in native tongue, and the horde, Rory included, shuffled back into the room containing the large anvil Honeydew had seen before. Kormag then turned and walked back up the steps he and Finbar had entered by. Finbar watched the captain of the guards exit before he turned to leave as well, following the undead dwarves out towards the anvil. Silence filled the loft for a moment, each dwarf letting what they had just witnessed sink in. Finally, Moira stood and relit the torch, giving a sigh as she did.

"Poor Rory…" She said. "He didn't deserve that."

"Aye, he didn't." Spacker replied. Honeydew stood and looked at the two before him.

"Don't worry guys. We'll avenge him, right?" He said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood. For once it didn't seem to work. Moira moved to head back down the stairs, motioning for the other two to follow. They reentered the armory before moving out across the bridge, standing before the stairs, the pub, and the way back to the anvil.

"A stranger arrived here a few weeks ago…" Moira began, placing her hands on her hips and looking towards the way Kormag had left. "He was locked up 'n the prison upon arrival. Now that Finbar is busy, we might be able to free him. He seems to know a lot about what has occurred here."

"Right. I'm guessing Kormag will lead us to the prison?" Honeydew asked, nodding in the direction of the stairs.

"Aye." Moria replied. She looked at Honeydew. "I will accompany ye, but my bow will be useless…" She paused to pull out a small metal pipe that could fit in her skirt pocket. With the press of a button, it expanded and curved into a beautiful dwarven-made bow, flawless except for the fact that the string was snapped in two. She pressed the button again, and it retracted back into the metal pipe.

"Count me in, mates! I can't jus' sit 'ere and let you two have all the fun!" Spacker added, smiling as he pulled his rusty cutlass from his belt. Both Honeydew and Moria gave him a thankful nod before the trio made their way up the stairs. They continued down a long narrow hall before Kormag's voice could be heard echoing back to them.

"You _will _talk, scum. Tell me what you know!" The captain of the guards shouted. A loud metallic bang followed, most likely Kormag punching a prison cell's door.

"Never, you vile fiend!" Another voice shouted. There was a crack of a whip as the new voice cried out in pain. Honeydew's eyes widened in surprise, knowing it instantly.

"Oh my gods, they have KP!"


	34. Chapter 34: Beer and Lava

**Separated**

**Chapter 34: Beer and Lava**

* * *

"Friend of yers?" Spacker asked from behind Honeydew. The shorter dwarf tried to stand on his tiptoes to see over his taller companion's shoulder. Honeydew then grabbed his pickaxe off his belt and bolted down the hall.

"No time! We have to save him!" he called back. Moira and Spacker shared a confused look before they chased after the oher dwarf. At the end of the hall was a right turn that opened up into another room. It was rectangular in shape and mostly empty, save for a few beds against the right wall and an open iron door on the left. Standing in the doorframe was Kormag, his back facing the three other dwarves. His strong build took up most of the door, blocking the exit, and a brown leather whip was held in his right hand. The dwarven guard captain had just raised his arm to crack the whip again when he heard Honeydew, Spacker, and Moria burst in behind him.

"What? How are you-" He paused to give the group a hardened glare before he reached for the sword on his belt, dropping his whip in the process. "Die!"

Kormag then sprinted forward with speed surprising for one with so much muscle. Because of this, Honeydew wasn't yet prepared to block correctly, and for a moment he thought he'd be skewered alive by one of his own kind. It was then he felt a force hit his side.

"Look out!" Spacker cried mid-push. Honeydew was forced to stumble out of the way of Kormag's attack, leaving Spacker wide open. The undead dwarf was fast, however, and he managed to avoid the bulk of the hit. The sword only managed to graze his side. Spacker gave a grunt of pain before Kormag shoved him into the wall. Before Kormag could follow up with another attack, Moira snuck up behind him and slammed her bow (still in its portable metal bar form) into the side of his head. This caused Kormag to stumble, and with another swing from Honeydew's pickaxe, the captain of the guards was no more.

"Aye, he got me good that time..." Spacker moaned, clutching his injured side. Moira moved to help him over to one of the nearby beds as Honeydew walked over to the door Kormag had been standing by. Inside was Knight_Peculier, just like Honeydew had thought. The knight was leaning back against the wall, eyes shut tight as he tried to subdue a pain in his side. Parts of his blue tunic were ripped from the whiplashes, and he was also covered in grime. Around where he sat were dried stains of blood, most likely from previous torture sessions.

"KP?" Honeydew's voice was enough to make the knight look up. "You doing alright there?"

"Hero!" Peculier winced as he tried to stand. "It was lucky...our paths crossed..."

"Careful now." Honeydew walked over and helped the knight into a standing position. He then led KP over to another bed back where Moira and Spacker were.

"What're you doing here?" Peculier asked once he was safely seated. Honeydew pulled out the map fragment again.

"I'm here to find another piece of the map. Xephos and I found the second back at Barbeque Bay."

"Xephos? You mean he's alive?!"

"Well, yeah. Long story..."

Peculier looked as though he was about to question Honeydew further, but they were interrupted by another one of Spacker's moans. It was enough to get Honeydew back on topic.

"Anyway, why are you here?" The Dwarf asked. KP shifted in his seat, trying to assuage the burning pain in his side again.

"Adaephon told me that The Wall was impossible to breach... but it was broken. Do you remember?" KP asked, looking up at the Dwarf in front of him. Honeydew frowned.

"Believe me, it's hard to forget..." He mumbled. Peculier chuckled weakly at his response before continuing, his expression instantly becoming stern again.

"My uncle told me Verigan had made a deal with the dwarves of Stoneholm. But something must have gone wrong, so I came here to investigate." He moved to shift again, but he only cringed with a sudden new pain. "Although, I didn't expect to be locked up..."

"It is true. I travelled with Verigan." Spacker spoke now. The undead dwarf sat up from laying back on the other bed, despite Moira's protests next to him. Both KP and Honeydew looked over as he continued. "He asked the dwarves to make sure The Wall would never fall..."

"Then I wonder why it did this time?" Honeydew replied, beginning to stroke his ginger beard in thought.

"What kind of help?" Peculier asked. Spacker gave another pain-filled grunt before replying.

"I don't know, but the answer most likely lies within The Deepcore."

"The...Deepcore?"

"Yes...an abandoned mineshaft that was sealed long ago. I fear that it's been...reopened..."

"Enough talk, you two. You both need rest!" Moira piped in finally. Spacker then gripped his injured side again.

"Aye, good idea." He mumbled. Honeydew gave a slight nod as both Spacker and Knight_Peculier laid back to rest.

"Some dwarven-made beer should help. You two shall be back on your feet in no time!" Moira said once everyone was settled. Honeydew just gave a nod of agreement. Dwarf beer was known for giving one quite the pick-me-up.

"As for The Deepcore, you'll need a key for that." Moira continued. "I'd be able to make one for ye, but I need help findin' the materials. That means we need some beer for these two, some lava, and some gold."

"Gold? Hang on a minute..." Honeydew quickly dug through his pack and pulled out some leftover gold coins he had retrieved from Duke's Smithy what felt like years ago. "Is this enough?"

"It'll have to do." Moira replied. She took the coins and tucked them into her pocket before she looked back over at KP and Spacker. "Be careful, you two. If you feel up to it, head to the inn. It'll be safer there."

"Will do, miss." Spacker replied before rolling over, giving another moan as he did. Honeydew then raised his pickaxe.

"Let's go, then. Also, you might want to take this for the time being." Honeydew reached into his bag again and pulled out his iron sword; another thing from Duke's Smithy. Moira gave a nod of thanks before she took the blade, and the two dwarves moved back the way they came, stepping over Kormag's body in the process.

Upon entering Stoneholm's shopping district again, Honeydew began to scan the rest of the shops in the area. It was then he noticed a distillery next to the weapons shop they had been hiding in earlier. A smile grew on his face before he rushed over, having to cross over the river of lava using the bridge again. Moira followed him inside, and immediately a giant brewing machine sat before them. After looking around a bit, Honeydew found the button that started the machine up. Upon pressing it, however, there was no response.

"Um, I think it's broken..." He mumbled, starting to repeatedly mash the button over and over in hopes of getting the contraption to work. Suddenly a jet of water shot through the pipe in front of him, causing the Dwarf to jump back in surprise. Moira sighed.

"It'll take forever to heat up at this rate. We don't have time. We'll have to find it somewhere else." She mumbled, already turning to head back out of the distillery. Honeydew looked disappointed as he followed.

"Where to now?"

"This way."

Moira lead him back over the bridge and into the room with the large anvil he and Spacker had met Rory at. The two passed the giant workplace before they approached the iron door on the other side of the large hall. Above the door hung a well-polished plaque...

_Hall of the Hammers_

...and hanging on the door itself was another sign.

_DANGER. KEEP OUT. Quarantine Zone in full effect._

"Well, we know that's bullshit now. Let's open 'er up then..." Honeydew took a step forward and swung his pick into where the door met the wall. He drove it back, and soon the door was pried open. "Well, that was surprisingly-"

"Watch out!" Moira cried behind him. Honeydew then looked up to see a dwarf with blue skin, one of Finbar's men, rush toward him with insane bloodshot eyes. He gave a shout of surprise before he swung his pickaxe again as a way to defend himself, and the zombie fell to the ground, a large gash now across his chest.

"Well, he sure was a fast little bugger, wasn't he?" Honeydew said after a moment, having taken the time to recover from being startled in such a way. Moira sighed as she walked by him, entering the supposed Hall of the Hammers.

"It happened slowly at first..." She began. Honeydew kept pace with her as she began to spin her tale. "A pale man was sighted around the city, and soon dwarves started to go missin'. Some even began to become sick, even with our immunity to plague! Amongst all this, our beloved King_Finbar grew ill and passed away. Unlike the others who fell from this disease, however, he rose again with strange powers. No one could stop him, and he soon enslaved us all."

"That's horrible! I bet I could take this Finbar guy. He didn't look all that tough." Honeydew gave Moira a playful nudge as a way to cheer her up. It seemed to work a little, for Moira gave a small smile in return.

The two then made their way down some stairs as the hallway widened into another room. It was darker here than any other place they've been in the hold so far, but a few torches still provided a small amount of light into the chamber. Two large wooden barrels were visible near the center of the back wall, both on their sides and facing each other. Next to the barrels were three more zombie dwarves, in which both Honeydew and Moira dispatched easily.

"I feel bad that we have to kill them." Honeydew said, looking down at the bleeding bodies of the dwarves cursed by Finbar. Moira gave another sad nod of agreement before she turned to one of the barrels, noticing a tap on it for the first time.

"Hey, this is a beer keg! Grab some mugs over there. We can take some of this back to the others."

"Right." Honeydew turned and found a group of mugs sitting on a crate nearby. Dwarven mugs were built with an attached lid, which made it easy to keep beer fresh and frothy while you made your way through the hold. He grabbed two and headed back over to the kegs, filling both mugs before snapping the lids shut.

"Looks like we just need lava, then. This way." Moira turned and headed back up the stairs from which they had come from. Honeydew was about to follow before he paused. He then turned, grabbed a few more mugs, and filled them all with some more dwarf beer before running to catch up to the other dwarf ahead of him. Hopefully Moira hadn't noticed. He was looking forward to a good drink later.

The two dwarves entered the main part of the Hall of the Hammers again before Moira led Honeydew down another hallway that was closer to the Hall's main entryway. The passage was quite narrow for a bit, forcing the two to walk single file, until it led to a cobblestone spiral staircase. The two headed down to a lower level where Honeydew nearly walked straight off a sudden drop and into a pool of lava below. Luckily, Moira was there to grab his shoulder.

"Careful." Moira advised.

"Uh, thanks..." Honeydew looked down to what would've been his untimely end. "What's this doing here so close to the stairs?"

"It's what separates us from The Deepcore. You need a key to make your way across." The dwarven blacksmith pointed over to another keyhole on the wall nearby.

"Oh, that makes sense, I guess..."

The two turned away from the pit of lava and continued down another narrow passage to their right. They passed an old security room and the beard dye storage before coming upon a small empty room with no door. From the corner erupted a sudden bright glow, and the two found a flow of lava seeping from a crack in the wall.

"Excellent!" Honeydew cheered. then thought of something he hadn't before. "Um, quick question, Moira. How in Minecraftia are we going to carry it back?"

"Simple. We use a dwarven-made bucket. It can withstand any heat." Moira then pulled one from somewhere out of sight. Where she had gotten it from, Honeydew had no idea. Moira placed the bucket down by the leak until it was nearly filled to the brim with molten rock. She then quickly handed it to Honeydew with the argument that he should carry it because he was wearing gloves. Not wanting to waste time over such a petty matter, Honeydew carried the bucket of lava as Moira led him back up the stairs, careful not to spill the bucket's deadly contents.

Once up the staircase, Honeydew and Moira left the Hall of the Hammers and continued back over to the shopping district. As soon as the two reentered, they heard a voice call up from their left.

"Honeydew, Moira, up here!"

Both dwarves turned to see Knight_Peculier waving at them from the building next to them's second-story window. In the time they were gone, he and Spacker must have moved over to the inn like Moira had advised. Both Moira and Honeydew then turned and headed inside, quickly heading up the stairs and into where KP and Spacker were.

Surprisingly, KP seemed to be in much better shape than Spacker was. The knight was up and about, even having taken the time to bandage his and Spacker's injuries. Spacker, however, was still stuck in bed, unable to sit up for long. Honeydew placed the bucket down in a place he was certain it wouldn't get knocked over while Moira handed the two their mugs of beer.

"Here, this'll do ya good. You three stay here while I go forge the key." The blonde dwarf gave a smile before she grabbed the bucket of lava and headed back down the stairs. KP eyed his drink suspiciously before he shrugged and took a sip. Meanwhile, Spacker had already drained his mug dry.

"Ahh, that's the stuff!" He laughed. He jumped up off the bed and set the mug down, almost instantly better. Honeydew smiled at the two's totally opposite reactions before he started to inspect the room. The two beds were placed by the main windows, which overlooked the entrance to the shopping district and the steps that led up to the dungeon. In the center of the small space was a square wooden table, where KP was currently sitting, and a jukebox sat against the wall nearby. The thing that caught most of Honeydew's attention, however, was the sign located next to said jukebox.

_Diggy Diggy Hole BANNED_

"What?! You've got to be kiddin' me!" the Dwarf motioned towards the sign in a mix of anger and confusion. "It's my _favorite song, _man!"

"Perhaps the dwarves of Stoneholm found it annoying?" KP inquired. Spacker gave another laugh as Honeydew opened his mouth the reply, but Moira's sudden reappearance caught the attention of the room. She walked over to Honeydew and handed him a large golden key, most likely molded from the gold coins he'd given the blacksmith earlier.

"Here is the key to The Deepcore. You know where to use it." She told him. Honeydew nodded and tucked it in his pocket as Peculier stood up from his seat at the table.

"Then I guess it's time we start to invetigate this Deepcore, then. Are you all coming?" He asked. Moira and Spacker shared a look before shaking their heads.

"Unfortunately, no." Moira replied.

"Ya'see, we need to burn the bodies of the fallen and wait for those who fled to return." Spacker finished. "We wish we could, but someone nee's to take care of the taint here. Be careful, you two. Deep in the mines can be a dangerous place."

"Thank you, both of you, for all of your help." KP responded with a grateful nod. He then turned to Honeydew. "Are you ready, hero?"

The Dwarf just nodded, and the two then headed down the stairs.

* * *

_Author's Note:_ _Wooow, a computer virus, vacation, writer's block, and a cold is NOT a good combination._

_So so so SOOO sorry this took forever to get out guys. My computer got fried by a Trojan Horse the day before I left for a two-week vacation, and now I'm battling a persistant cold whilst stuck on my mom's laptop until we get a new PC. Also, I'm moving in a few days. Lovely._

_Anyway, expect more chapters soon. I probably won't be getting them out as fast as usual, but I promise it won't take another month to get the next chapter out._

_~DR_

_P.S. I cut out a few things from the original episode because they were time-consuming/I'm the author and I say so. :P_


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